Missing
by Bailation
Summary: All the missing moments between Ron and Hermione, starting with the first book and ending with the epilogue in DH. Includes stories on the missing space between the last chapter and the epilogue.
1. Into the Flames and Out of the Game

Hermione stepped reluctantly through the flames that would take her back to Ron, not wanting to leave Harry.

The next thing she knew, Hermione was back in the chess room. She looked frantically around for Ron, her memory foggy from when she last watched him fall. Then she spotted him; fallen against the hard stone that was the chessboard. She ran over to him, and shook him.

"_Wake up, Ron!" _

It was, however, no use. Ron refused to wake.

Ron must've hit his head pretty hard, Hermione thought. She decided to use her magic for this. She pulled out her wand, and remembered how Ron had shouted at her just about an hour ago: "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"

Hermione pursed her lips, suddenly angry with herself and Ron, and had an impulse to slap him across the head while he is unconscious. Ron was a prat for saying that, but how could _she_, Hermione Granger, forget she is a _witch?_

Hermione shook her head, promising herself she would punish herself later for her forgetfulness. She decided to focus herself on Ron.

Hermione tapped Ron's chest with her wand and said, "_Ennevate._"

Ron opened his eyes and blinked twice. "Hermione, what - ?"

"Ron, we don't have much time. We have to send an owl to Dumbledore. Harry's in trouble!"

"What – where is he?"

"I'll explain on the way, come on!"

Once they got to the Owlery and Ron was completely filled in, Hermione was able to find a quill and parchment in her pocket to write to Dumbledore.

"So what's going to happen with Harry?" Ron asked, as if he knew she knew.

"I don't know, but Dumbledore needs to get here before it's too late."

Ron's eyes widened as he realized what she meant. They stood in silence as Ron watched Hermione write the letter as fast as she could. Hermione finished the letter and tied it to the nearest owl.

"All we can do is hope for the best," Hermione said as they watched the bird fly off. She felt Ron's eyes on her, but she didn't dare meet them. She couldn't stand to see the sadness in those eyes.

Not even an hour later, Dumbledore came storming through the main hallway. He commanded Ron and Hermione (who were waiting for him under Harry's Invisibility Cloak) to go to the hospital wing. Hermione had never seen him look so frantic and angry, so she didn't protest. She pulled Ron by his arm off to the hospital wing, despite his protests.

"Hermione, we can't just go off to the hospital wing like nothing's happened, we have to _do_ something!"

Hermione whipped around at Ron, red-faced, and Ron was so startled, he stepped back a few paces, though he kept him expression fierce.

"Ron, don't you understand? We are both first years, and we have done more tonight than any older student would have dreamed to do!"

Hermione ran her hand through her hair, tears welling in her eyes.

"There is nothing more we can do! We have done all we can, and now we need to let Dumbledore take over! He'll fix everything, and Harry will be fine!"

Hermione herself didn't believe her words, but she hoped Ron did. She seemed to have lost all hope tonight, but she still needed someone to keep her hope for her.

But Ron simply stood and stared at her, dumbfounded; astounded that Hermione could lose control like this. After a moment of silence, he decided not to argue for once.

"All right," he said, "let's go to the hospital wing. You're right; we've done all we can."

Hermione now was the one to look astounded. She had never heard Ron say the words "You're right" to her or anyone else for that matter. She smiled slightly at him, despite her mood, and to her surprise, he smiled back.


	2. Petrified

There was a scream, and all was gone.

* * *

The next time Hermione woke, she screamed as she bolt upright in bed. But she wasn't in her dorm, or even at home in London. Where was she?

It took her a moment to figure out she was in the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey stood above her, telling her to calm down, and started telling her something about her being petrified.

"…you've been out for two months…"

Hermione only half-listened to the rest, because after this statement, she couldn't figure anything else out. It just didn't make _sense._ She couldn't have been out for _two months._ This could mean that the monster probably attacked half the school, and some may be dead…

She felt groggy, like she had slept too long, or too little. And she couldn't see very clearly at all. She looked around the room, and saw other petrified figures, like Colin Creevey and Penelope Clearwater. Then she saw (very foggily) Ron.

He was explaining to Madame Pomfrey about something, and Professor Lockhart stood next to him, looking happier and stupider than usual, Hermione couldn't believe she ever liked him…

Then Ron looked over at her and met her eyes. His own eyes widened, and, completely forgetting about Lockhart and Pomfrey, rushed over to Hermione.

"Hermione!"

"Ron, is that you?"

She really couldn't see well, and she needed Ron to confirm he was Ron, so she could be almost completely at ease.

"What? Hermione, of course it's me…"

Hermione's whole body sighed in relief. He was now kneeling so he was at eye level with her, so she could see his face clearly. For some reason, he was covered in dust and grime. But he was indeed Ron, and right now, he was the only face she wanted to see. After seeing the horrid face of the basilisk in the mirror, anything could be better. She slowly lay back down onto the many pillows that were behind her.

Suddenly, Hermione was thrust into a panic. She bolt straight up in bed. "Ron, I know what the monster is! It's a basilisk! We need to figure out how to destroy it before – "

She was cut off as Ron gently pushed her back down in a lying position. "Hermione, you need to calm down before you have a seizure. Everything is fine. The basilisk is dead, and it can't hurt you anymore."

"It's dead? But how – "

Ron shook his head, and Hermione noticed he looked weary. "I'll explain later, Hermione," he said, "You just need to rest."

Hermione flushed angrily. "Ron, I've been out for two months, and you think you're not going to explain _anything_ to me?"

"Hermione, I will, just not now, a lot has happened – "

"Where's Harry?"

The question caught Ron off guard. "Dumbledore's office, but – "

"Right." Hermione threw back the blankets, and was surprised to see she was still in the same robes she had been wearing when she had been attacked. She got up out of bed, despite Ron and Madame Pomfrey's protests.

"I'm fine!" she snapped at both of them. "I'm going to find Harry! I know _he'll _explain something to me!"

"Hermione, he won't!" Ron snapped back at her for the first time. "He's just as tired as me, and I know he'll just say the same thing as I did!"

Hermione, knowing he was right, for the first time, gave up on their argument, and crawled reluctantly back into the hospital bed, and crossed her arms across her chest.

Ron seemed to be surprised by this too. Madame Pomfrey, however, was satisfied, so she strode across the room to tend to other patients.

Ron knelt back down beside her, and said, "I would be angry too. But you have no idea what has happened. It can't be explained right now. Not here, anyway." Ron looked around at the other patients, who all seemed distracted, but who also could be hanging on to every word Ron and Hermione were exchanging.

Hermione stared straight ahead at her feet, determined not to look Ron in the eye.

"But I will tell you what's going on," Ron said. "Tonight, I promise."

Hermione sighed, and rolled her eyes, but on the inside, she celebrated. "Fine."


	3. Diagon Alley

As the summer before third year wore on, Hermione felt more and more alone at the absence of Harry and Ron's presence. Because of this, she was excited when an invitation arrived at her house:

_Hermione, _

_Just came back from Egypt! It's completely brilliant, the whole wizarding country is covered in pyramids and dead guys. 'Course, I know just what you would say: "Ron, there's more to Egypt than pyramids and dead guys. History has been made in the country!" Hermione, history has been made everywhere. You can't possibly be fascinated by _everything_. _

_Anyway, how was France? And tell about more things than its _history_. It'll bore me to tears._

_I know I'm a git._

_By the way, we'll all be in Diagon Alley on August 30__th__. D'you think you'll want to join us? If you do (and you do, right?) we'll be at the Leaky Cauldron at 10:00 am._

_Hope to see you there,_

_Ron_

Hermione had laughed at this letter, and had replied straight away:

_Dear Ron, _

_I'm glad you had fun in Egypt. And for the record, you _are_ a git. I'm not just fascinated by its history; the location of Egypt is also captivating. _

_France was extraordinary; the wizards are so different there. Of course, I wouldn't know. Mum and Dad were with me, so I couldn't visit any of the wizard part of France. I've just read about it, and from that, I think it's fascinating. _

_Just asked Mum and Dad, and they said I can leave early for Hogwarts and see you lot at Diagon Alley. I'm sure Tom will give me a room. _

_I'll see you then,_

_Hermione_

She sighed as she put down the quill. Now she felt complete, despite the feeling of loneliness she had felt a few moments ago. She was going to see Ron a day earlier than planned, though it felt like a month earlier than planned.

Before she sent the letter off, she thought of one last minute thing to say:

_P.S. Are you inviting Harry? He's probably feeling lonely at his aunt and uncle's; you know how they are to him._

She sent it off with Errol, who had been waiting almost impatiently for her to finish.

* * *

It seemed to take a lifetime for the day of Hermione's deportation to arrive. Ron had responded to her letter, saying he wasn't sure if Harry was going to come, because Harry hadn't replied to his letter. This had made Hermione worry a bit, the only time this had happened before had been when a house elf had stopped Harry's letters. But as she hauled her trunk down the spiral stairs in her muggle home, she forgot all about Harry.

Hermione arrived in Diagon Alley, and after greeting Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and a brief conversation with her parents and Ron's, she bade her parents' farewell, and set out to find Ron and the rest of the Weasleys.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had told her that all their children had spread out throughout Diagon Alley, and they had no idea where Ron was. However, they told Hermione that they were all due back at the Leaky Cauldron at one o' clock for lunch.

Hermione did know where Ron would be, however. If she knew Ron well enough, he would either be in Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, pigging out on ice cream with his brothers, or at Zonko's Joke Shop with Fred and George.

She decided to check Florean Fortescue's first, since it was closer. She saw no one but a few people in there, none of them redheads. So, she continued down the bumpy path to Zonko's where she was sure she would find Ron.

She looked in the window to the little shop, and there he was.

His back was to her, he was looking at something she could not see with the twins. One of them, however (she suspected it to be George) saw her.

She entered the shop as she heard George say, "Hey, Ron, look who it is."

Ron turned around and she saw the face she had missed for the last two months.

He grinned at her; he had clearly missed her as much as she missed him. He had gotten taller and frecklier over the summer. He had a tan, which was strange, because most redheads don't possess this trait. Either way, Hermione admired his appearance, as she always had.

"Hermione!" Ron approached her grinning with that lopsided grin she loved.

"Hello, Ron." She responded with a warm smile. "How has your summer been?"

Ron shrugged and made a face. "S'alright. Bit lonely though, with you and Harry gone. Been playing Quidditch mostly with Fred and George and Ginny. How was France?"

Hermione gave the same response Ron had given her. "It was alright, but it would've been much better if I had been able to see the wizard part of it. And it probably would've been much more fun if you and Harry had been there. I think we would've had fun together."

Hermione smiled and Ron grinned back. "You want to go over to Florean Fortescue's? I'm hungry."

"Are you? Isn't that _quite_ the surprise."

"Hm, clever _and_ cheeky," Fred approached Ron and Hermione with George at his side. "Ronnie, you've better get a move on this girl before –"

"Shove off," Ron snapped at the twins. "We're going to Florean Fortescue's, just keep out of our way."

"What an unnecessary snappish comment!" George continued. "Mother Dearest would never call for such rubbish!"

"Well, Mother Dearest isn't here, now is she?" Ron snapped back. Hermione laughed at the boys and grabbed Ron by the arm, and lead him out of the shop before the twins could get him any angrier.

"You can't let the twins get to you anymore, Ron," Hermione said once they were outside. "You know that's what they want."

"Easy for you to say," Ron said grumpily. "You haven't had to deal with their smart comments all summer…the gits…."

"Alright, they're gone now. So please don't be this way for the rest of the day. Alright?"

She squeezed his arm in a warning sort of way, and he smiled at her and said, "Alright."

She smirked back at him; she couldn't help it. The uneven grin of Ron Weasley made her smile for days on end.

As they approached the ice cream parlor, she couldn't help noticing how tall Ron had grown from when she first saw him. He had always been tall, yes, but over the summer he had really sprouted.

"You've gotten really tall, Ron," Hermione finally said when they were directly in front of the shop.

Ron seemed unsure how to respond to this. His mouth curled into a smirk, however, and he responded smartly, "Well, maybe you're just too short."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm _average_ height. You're just abnormally tall," she said teasingly.

"Wrong. You're average height for a girl. Blokes are taller." He took a step closer to Hermione, and looked down at her, as if to prove his point. However, Hermione was the least bit threatened.

"You don't scare me, Ron. I always win, anyway."

"How's that, then?"

Hermione counted off on her fingers. "One: I'm a girl; we always win everything, even if we lose. Two: I'm a lot cleverer than you. And three: I can do this."

She grabbed a nearby chair and stood on it next to Ron, making her half a foot taller than him. Hermione smiled cheekily down at him, and stated, "I win."

"For now." Ron responded with a grin on his face. They were both in such good moods! Hermione liked it. "But if you were a bloke, I'd kick that chair out from under you, and then _I_ would win."

Hermione rolled her eyes again, and they both entered the shop to order their ice creams.

When they came back out, they saw the one person they loved to see at the moment.

Harry was just down the street, and coming straight for them.

Ron saw him too, and they both yelled, "HARRY!" at the exact same time.

Hermione couldn't stop smiling that day. After two months apart, she was with her boys again.


	4. Hogsmeade

On Halloween morning, Hermione woke to the sound of Ginny banging on her door.

"C'mon, Hermione, we're going to Hogsmeade today!"

Hermione groaned and rolled out of bed. She got dressed and hurried down the common room to find Harry, who looked exceptionally depressed. Though as she descended the stairs, he tried a failed smile and she could see he was trying to hide his miserable mood.

"Hey Hermione, Ron's already gone down to breakfast, but I reckon I should wait for you."

Hermione smiled at Harry. "Thanks. The great git wouldn't wait for me even if we weren't furious with each other."

"Can't you stop fighting for one day?" Harry snapped at her. "It's driving me mad…"

"Alright!" Hermione exclaimed. "I won't say anything if he doesn't."

"You're both too stubborn for your own good if you ask me…."

As they entered the Great Hall, Hermione spotted Ron at the end of the Gryffindor table. She decided to leave the argument they had gotten into the night before in the past, just for Harry's sake. And as she sat down next to Harry, it seemed Ron had been thinking the same thing. Besides, he was the only company she was to have today, for Harry wasn't allowed into Hogsmeade.

After breakfast, Ron and Hermione bade Harry goodbye and promised they would bring back plenty of sweets from Honeydukes' and fun joke products from Zonko's.

Once off the castle's grounds, Hermione turned to Ron and said, "So, where first?"

"Reckon we should go to Honeydukes' first, I'm starving anyway."

"You just had breakfast!"

"And your point is…?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh shut it, you. Fine, we'll go to Honeydukes', but let's go to Zonko's too, and I promised Ginny we'd meet her at the Three Broomsticks at noon…"

"Well Miss Granger, you seem to have my schedule planned out." Ron grinned cheekily at her, and Hermione smiled sarcastically back at him.

"Ha, ha. You'd rather have me here than no one, wouldn't you? I've seen you with Dean and Seamus, and despite your friendship with them, I don't think you like them as much as Harry and I…"

Ron hesitated. "All true, I'm afraid. Just like me to end up with a scrawny git and a know-it-all girl for my best mates."

"Hey!" Hermione yelled. "This know-it-all girl happens to be saving your arse from failing out of school!"

"Hmm…" Ron pretended to be thinking harder than he was. "Nope, I got on pretty well for those first two months in first year."

"I'm sure you did," Hermione scoffed.

"Oi, there's Honeydukes'!"

Ron pointed it out and Hermione saw him run faster than he ever had. Just like a boy, she thought. Go running off to find more food.

Hermione quickly followed Ron's footprints, so she could stop him from eating the whole store. They both had a limited amount of money, and they still had to buy for Harry, and go to Zonko's. She couldn't let Ron spend all his money in Honeydukes'.

She entered the small sweet shop, and found Ron within the shelves; his arms already full with sweets.

"Right," she said as she approached him, "_limit _yourself, Ron!"

"What?" Ron gave her one of his famous innocent looks. But Hermione didn't fall for it.

"Ronald, do you really think you'll be able to afford all this, plus things at Zonko's, plus things for Harry?"

Ron frowned, but he couldn't possibly argue with that logic. "Alright, but I don't know what to put back!"

Hermione smiled. "I'll help you. Now do you really need three packages of Chocolate Frogs?"

Ron put back two of the packages, and Hermione shook her head with exasperation. _Boys._

With Hermione's help, Ron was able to limit himself with the sweets.

"There," Hermione said as they left the shop. "Now, don't you feel better now that you know you have enough money for the rest of Hogsmeade?"

"Oi, shut it," Ron said as he shoved the bag of his purchases in his pocket. He tried to sound irritated, though he was smirking that lopsided grin that made her smile.

"I'm having some of this right now," Hermione said as she pulled out a package of Every Flavor Beans.

Ron's mouth fell open, as he stared accusingly at Hermione. "Well, if you get some, then I'm having some of mine!"

"I never said you couldn't, Ronald."

"Yeah, well," Ron mumbled as he pulled out an identical package to Hermione's, "I feel like I've been shopping with my mum, so I automatically thought I wasn't allowed sweets until we arrive home…"

Hermione giggled. "And since when has that ever stopped you?"

"I've an idea," Ron declared.

"Do you now? And what would that be?"

"Whoever can find the most disgusting Every Flavor Bean owes the other…a package of Droobles'."

Hermione's mouth fell agape. "Ron, no, that's so gross! I –"

"What?" Ron pointed at Hermione with mock accusation. "Do my ears deceive me? Is the great Gryffindor Hermione Granger passing up a challenge?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows to him. "Alright then, package of Droobles' it is." She held out a hand, and Ron shook it. They both sat down at a bench to start the competition.

"Right, first bean," Ron said, digging through his box. "Try to find the most disgustingly colored bean you can find. On the count of three, alright?"

Hermione nodded, holding up her bean, which was a weird yellow color.

"One…two….three!"

They both shoved the beans into their mouths, and started chewing. At the exact same time, they both started coughing up the beans and spitting them out in the snow.

"Earwax! I got earwax!" Hermione yelled after thoroughly getting rid of the taste with some snow on the ground.

Ron was still having a fit; Hermione suspected he was being a bit overdramatic.

"Ron, it's not that bad – "

"Oh yeah?" Ron challenged as he let out a few extra coughs. "I got _vomit_."

Hermione made a painful face. "I think you win."

"Yeah. Pay up." Ron held out his hand.

Hermione sighed and reached into her pocket for the Droobles'. She held the package out away from Ron's awaiting hands.

"You'll have to catch me first!" And with that, Hermione ran with the Droobles' in hand, towards the outskirts of the little town.

Ron swore loudly behind her, and started running after her. She was almost to the Forbidden Forest when Ron caught her around the waist, and tackled her to the ground.

Both laughing and breathing hard, Ron was able to wrestle the Droobles' from her hands, and shout, "Victory!"

This made Hermione laugh harder, her sides now ached from the running and the laughing. When they both had finally settled down, the two friends were lying side to side in the snow staring up into the gray sky.

"That – was enough exercise for the year," Ron said finally. Hermione gave a giggle.

"Hey – look!"

Ron had sat up suddenly, and he was looking over at a small hut off the beaten path.

Hermione sat up next to him. "What?"

Ron got up and pointed at the Shrieking Shack in a small valley away from the village.

An evil grin crossed his face that Hermione knew couldn't be good. "Let's check it out."

And with that, he climbed over the fence, and started running toward the shack.

"No, Ron!" Hermione looked around to see if anyone saw. She turned to see him running back to her. "C'mon!"

Hermione hesitated a second more, then let Ron help her over the fence, and they both ran for the shack.

When they were in front of the Shrieking Shack, they both stopped and looked up.

"Ron, I really don't think we should –"

"C'mon Hermione, what's life without some rule-breaking?" Ron flashed her one of his famous smiles, but she still looked unsure. "Hermione, you're top in every subject, what will happen if you get in trouble just this once?"

Hermione paused. "Points taken away from Gryffindor, and a week of detention."

Ron rolled his eyes. "We can get the points back and as far as detention goes, so what? I've had at least two months worth of detention and I've only been at Hogwarts for two years."

Hermione scoffed, "That's because you don't care about school, Ron, and where you're going with your life. I do."  
Ron ignored her. "C'mon, Hermione, for me?" He gave her another lopsided grin that she couldn't refuse. She smiled back and said, "Fine, but if we get caught, you'd better move to Australia, because I'll come after you."

But Ron didn't hear her last threat, for he was already in the house.

Hermione rushed inside after him, and started calling his name.

"Ron! Ron, where'd you go? Ro – ARGH!"

Ron had grabbed her from behind, and made her yell. "Hermione, it's only me. What, are you _scared_?"

"Ronald Weasley, you great prat!" Hermione slapped him on the arm, making him jump back.

"Ow, Hermione, you've got an arm on you!" Ron held his arm as if it had really hurt, while Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, please. Are you honestly that weak? Best start working out Ronald, otherwise I might have to tell the boys you're afraid of a girl hitting you."

"Hey – do you hear that?"

Hermione turned to see Ron looking almost scared. "Hear what?"

"Shh – there it is again!"

"Ron, stop playing with me, what are you on about?"

Ron looked wildly around, then at Hermione. "It's upstairs, come with me!"

He grabbed her arm, and they both raced upstairs. Hermione looked around. It was nothing special; it simply looked like an old abandoned house. "Alright, you got me up here. Now what is it?"

She turned around, but Ron was no longer there. She turned in a full circle, but he was no where to be found. Hermione automatically assumed Ron was playing with her again.

"Ron, this isn't funny, where'd you go?"

She listened for a moment, and just when she was going to call again, she heard someone faintly call her name.

"_Hermione…"_

"Ron!" Hermione walked, with her heart in her throat, down the hall to where the calling was coming from.

"_Hermione!"_

She could now hear his voice clearly, and she knew it was Ron. He was calling her from the room directly in front of her.

Hermione rushed forward and tried to wrench the door open, but it wouldn't budge. She then threw her whole body weight against it, and it flew open.

And there was Ron. "What happened? You weren't playing with me again, were you?" Hermione asked accusingly.

"No!" And by his face, Hermione could tell he was dead serious. "I thought you had locked me in here as a joke!"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I thought _you_ were pranking _me_ again!"

They stared at each other for a moment more, then Ron said, "Let's get out of here." Hermione strongly agreed, and they both ran for the stairs.

As they ran down the hallway, however, there was a loud creaking, and the floor fell from beneath Hermione's feet. Ron caught her around the waist before she could fall through. They both watched the floor fall to the landing below, and Hermione turned to Ron and said, "Thank you."

"Anytime," he said back.

"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks. I've had enough of sneaking around for one day."

"Good call."

They carefully stepped around the gaping hole, and fled the shack.

They met Ginny at the Three Broomsticks and told her about their adventure at the Shrieking Shack. Ginny was appalled; she had never known Hermione to do anything like this before.

After a few butterbeers, they made a quick stop at Zonko's, and then they decided to go back up to Hogwarts.

As Ron and Hermione climbed the hill to Hogwarts, Hermione thought of how much fun she had had with Ron. Maybe, just maybe, sometimes it was alright if Harry wasn't allowed into Hogsmeade.


	5. A New Game

Ron's fourth year was approaching rapidly, but more importantly, the Quidditch World Cup was coming first, and Ron's family had tickets. Mr. Weasley had given Ron and Ginny each one extra ticket to give to a friend, but by now Ron was panicking. He wanted to invite Harry; but that left Hermione out. And he knew Ginny would invite one of her friends from her year. So, he had tried to convince her to give it to Hermione.

"Ginny, who are you inviting?"

"Oh, Ron, you don't need to know. Besides, she's a lovely girl, and I'm sure you'll love her."

Ron grabbed her arm to keep her from walking away from him. "Ginny, you know I need that ticket for Hermione. She'll murder me if she doesn't get to go and both me and Harry do."

Ginny gave him a smirk. "Are you _sure_ that's the real reason you want her to come?"

Ron frowned. "What? Yeah, you know how she is! Please give her the ticket!"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Boys…so naive to the realism under their very noses…anyway, I don't really think Hermione would care if you went to the World Cup without her, she doesn't have a particular interest in Quidditch, or haven't you noticed?"

"Ginny, you don't _know_ her. When she finds out she's not invited, she'll flip out!"

Ginny's eyes seemed to flame up to the color of her hair. "Oh, but I do know her, Ronald. I may know her even better than you; I know some things that she couldn't even share with _you_."

"No one knows her better than me and Harry," Ron said stubbornly.

"Fine, be that way." And with that, Ginny stomped off to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

This had happened only a few weeks ago, and now Ron was in his room waiting for Ginny's friend's arrival. Tommorow, however, he, Fred and George, and their father were going to floo to Harry's house to pick him up.

"Ron, get down here, I want you to meet my friend!"

Ron rolled his eyes and sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was meet another one of Ginny's million friends. She was so much more popular than he was, and they both knew it.

Despite his urge to stay in his room, he made his way to the bottom of the stairs, where he found Ginny and her "friend".

It was Hermione.

Ron stood at the edge of the stairs, his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish. "Hermione, what -?"

"You're not the only one who can make a joke." She smiled warmly at him, the smile that he had memorized, only on her, he could never see Hermione's smile on anyone else. And to his surprise, she approached him and hugged him. He stood for only a moment with his arms at his sides, then he wrapped them around Hermione's small waist. When they broke apart, Ron turned to Ginny (who had been watching the scene with mild interest) and said, "You're horrible, Ginny."

Ginny's mouth fell open in mock anger. "I resent that! Hermione was in on it too."

Ron rolled his eyes. He then grabbed Hermione by the arm, and said, "C'mon Hermione, Harry's coming later, let's go out back."

"Hey, she's my friend too, whom I invited by the way!" Ginny yelled, grabbing Hermione's other arm.

"It's alright, Ginny," Hermione said, "We'll talk later."

Ginny glared, then let Hermione go. "Fine," she practically spat. She then stomped upstairs to her own room.

Ron turned to Hermione. "What are you going to talk about with her?"

"None of your business, Ronald. Besides, why would you care?"

"Anything you can say to Ginny, you can say to me," Ron insisted. "You've known me longer, and we've been friends longer."

Hermione turned her back and started for the back door. "Actually, Ron, there are a lot of things I say to Ginny, that I could never say to you."

Ron took three long strides to reach Hermione before she could escape. "Like what?" he asked as he held the door shut.

Hermione sighed. "Ron, if you have not noticed, I am not a boy. I am a girl, who is going to talk to other girls about things she can't talk about with boys, even if they are her best friends. I have things I talk to some of my friends about that my other friends don't know about."

She tried to open the door again, but Ron kept his hand pressed against it firm. Hermione shot daggers through her eyes at him, which made his insides cower, though he did not show it. She took out her wand and pointed it at his chest.

"Don't make me hex you," she threatened.

Ignoring her wand, Ron asked, "Alright, if you talk about different things with all your friends, what do you talk about with me that no one else knows about?"

"Ron, this is stupid –"

"AHA! You can't think of anything! Admit it! Everything we talk about is completely public to you!"

"Ron, STOP!" Hermione now looked like she was very nearly close to tears. "You've never told me anything that you said should be kept secret; otherwise I would've kept it private! And I've never told you anything because…"

"Because why?"

"Well, because I never really had anything to tell you. I only tell Ginny because I know she won't tell anyone! I can't be sure with you, Ron! I can't even be sure with Harry! You boys are always the same, and you can't seem to keep secrets!"

Hermione gave a huge sigh, and fell into a nearby chair. "I don't want to fight with you. I just…I'll tell you things if you promise not to scream it from the rooftops."

Ron snatched another chair, and placed it in front of Hermione's. "When have I ever shouted about anything that you wanted private?"

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. It's not really you or Harry, I just don't feel like I can trust boys."

"Why?"

Hermione sniffed. "When I was five, I had a best friend who was a boy, and I told him everything that I kept only to myself. And one day, I came to school, and I learned he had told everyone my secrets. Life with other people my age was never the same again, and I hated it. That's why I was glad to go to Hogwarts, because I could make a fresh start."

Ron scooted his chair closer to Hermione's, and looked into her eyes. "Hermione, listen to me. I would _never_ do anything like that to you. We may have loads of fights, and there will be more of them, you can be sure of that. But I would never do something so horrible it would scar you for life."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Ron. I have to say, I've been unsure about trusting you and Harry in this way. But now that I've known you for three years, I think I can really trust both of you."

Ron grinned. "So, will you tell me your deepest, darkest secrets?"

Hermione laughed. "Only if you tell me your deepest, darkest secrets."

"Please, my deepest, darkest secrets are already public…"

"I wouldn't be too sure of that…"

Ron jumped up and Hermione followed suit. He opened the back door for her and they both strolled to the forest beyond the Burrow.

A few moments later, they were lying on the forest floor and looking up at the sky.

"Okay, you start," Ron said eagerly. "Tell me something not even Ginny knows."

Hermione made a face. "That's hard, Ginny knows almost everything." She put on the face she always made when she was thinking, the face Ron always loved to see. "I've got one."

"Alright."

"Did you know…I've been playing piano for nearly ten years?"

Ron raised his eyebrows. "Are you good?"

Hermione laughed. "Well, I should be if I've been playing that long! I started when I was five, and if I was better in front of crowds, I would've wanted to be a musician. But I've decided I want a job in this world, maybe with the Ministry."

"I did not know this."

"Sometimes you learn things by listening to me, Ronald. Maybe you should try it more often."

Ron smirked. "Ha ha. Tell me more."

"No! It's your turn!"

This was the part of the game Ron didn't want to participate in. What could he tell her? He didn't want to tell her anything that was _really_ secret, that absolutely no one knew about except himself. And anything besides that was completely public. He thought hard, and he was able to remember something.

"I saw you in London before we officially met."

Hermione turned on her side so she was facing him. "Really? When?"

"We were both about five. I was with Mum, the twins, and Ginny and we had gone into Muggle London because…Dad was doing something for work…I can't really remember why we were there. All I remember is seeing you. We had gone into a bookstore, and there you were. I only saw you reading in a chair at the back at the shop, but I don't think you saw me.

"When I saw you on the train for the first time, I thought you looked familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had seen you. Then I remembered a few months later, but I never told you, because it just never came up in a conversation."

There was silence between the two of them. Then Hermione said, "Ron, how d'you remember that from when you were five?"

Ron shrugged. He honestly didn't know. Anyway, at the time, Hermione had meant nothing to him, and he had no idea why he had remembered her from simply seeing her in a bookstore. Now, however, he knew he would always remember her, no matter where in the world she was.

"Right, your turn."

"Alright…erm…got one."

"Shoot." He imitated her and turned on his side to face her.

"Did you know you and Harry are the two people I think about the most?"

This sparked Ron's interest. She really thought of _him_ the most? And Harry, of course, but Ron hoped she thought about him a bit more than Harry.

"Why?"

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. I think it's because I worry a lot, and you two are the people I worry about the most."

Ron's head was now raised from the ground so he could hear better. "What do you worry about with us?"

Hermione swallowed. "Well…I worry about Harry and You-Know-Who of course…but with you I worry about school more. I'm so afraid you're going to flunk out any day now, Ron, that's why I help you so much with your homework."

Ron frowned. "Hey, I'm not _that_ bad."

"I guess not. I think it's because I care so much about my own work, I think that anyone else who slacks off only a little needs all the help they can get."

Ron grinned. "You care too much, Hermione. You need to relax."

"Are you sure about that, Ronald? Maybe you just need to keep up."

"Don't worry," Ron said. "I've been trying to keep up with you since the day I met you."

Hermione smiled. "Your turn."

Ron sighed. "Hm…did you know I hate oranges?"

Hermione laughed. "_Oranges?"_

Ron nodded. "The one food I won't touch. I'll eat anything else before I would ever eat an orange."

"Why?"

"I think it's because it reminds me of my hair. I hate my hair."

Hermione smirked. "I like your hair. Better than mine."

"Mine's alright, I guess." She must have been going mad, she liked his hair. No one liked his hair.

"It's your turn," he said to Hermione.

Hermione looked like she was thinking hard. Then her expression softened, as if she finally understood something.

"Did you know you're my best friend?"

His face whipped around to stare at her. He surely had never met anyone quite like Hermione Granger, so intelligent and secretive…so loving…

"I did know that actually." Ron flashed his lovely grin at her. "Did you know you're _my_ best friend?"

Hermione rested her head on the ground. "I do now."


	6. The Yule Ball

Hermione furiously ran up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room. She screamed the password at the Fat Lady (who was too drunk to notice anyway) and ran inside.

How could he do this? The one night she wanted to be acknowledged for once, and he ruins it!

She knew Ron was right behind her. She considered fleeing to her dormitory, but she thought better of it. If she stayed, she could have another chance to scream at him.

Before long, Ron came barging into the common room, every part of skin she could see on him was red.

Then he caught sight of her. His expression softened, only for a microsecond, at the sight of her tears. She saw the true Ron, the Ron who made her laugh. Then his expression hardened again, and she saw only the shadow of Ron Weasley.

He was approaching her. She knew he was going to scream at her, so she decided she would beat him to it.

"How could you do this to me, Ron? The one night I wanted to be noticed by someone other than a teacher and you shatter the whole evening for me!"

Ron looked taken aback. "How could _I _do this to _you_? You're the one who went to the Ball with Krum!"

Hermione glared. "So? You're the one who wanted his autograph; he was your favorite Quidditch player until just a few hours ago!"

"He's USING you!"

This set Hermione off. All of the sudden, she was screaming at Ron as loud as she could, and he was screaming back. They both didn't seem to be making any sense, just run-on sentences, and expressed anger mixed into one.

Finally, Hermione couldn't take it any longer. She stopped yelling, which made Ron stop after he finished his long rant about Krum trying to get to Harry.

She suddenly understood everything. She understood why Ron didn't want her going to the Ball with Victor; she understood why he was so jealous of him…

It was her.

"Then you know what the solution is, don't you?" she said in a lower voice then what she had been using.

"What's that?" Ron shouted at her.

"Next time there's a ball, pluck up the courage to ask me before someone else does, and _not_ as a last resort!"

With that, she ran up to her dormitory, leaving Ron gaping.

* * *

Hermione cried for at least an hour. She heard Lavender and Parvati come in the room, both talking rapidly about their evening, and she made sure her curtains were closed around her four-poster. Her heart burned with jealousy. If only her evening had turned out as planned…

A few minutes later, she heard a third voice in the room. "Is Hermione in here? I didn't see her turn in. She's not still at the Ball…"

There was silence. Parvati and Lavender had both been in the common room when Ron and Hermione were having their row. She figured they knew she was up here, she assumed they didn't want to bother her. And to be honest, Hermione liked it that way.

Finally, Hermione heard Parvati answer the new voice, "Yeah, she's in bed."

There were footsteps, but Hermione didn't move from her lying position in bed. She was still in her dress; she had been too upset to change. She heard the curtains open, then close again. She felt more weight add to her bed as the person sat down.

"Hermione, what did Ron do?"

Hermione faced the person. It was Ginny.

She didn't want to tell her. It was too humiliating to recall just yet…

Suddenly, the whole story started pouring out of her. Ginny sat listening attentively.

"…and then I said, "next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and _not_ as a last resort!"

Ginny raised her eyebrows at this. "Wow Hermione, that was as good as confession for the both of you."

"Oh, shut up," Hermione snapped angrily. "I honestly have no idea why I even hang around him anymore. He has to be the most vicious person on the planet, especially when he's jealous."

Ginny laughed. "Hermione, all boys are like this, they're all the same. They're jealous maniacs, and they want what other boys want."

Hermione frowned at this, then her eyes widened. "What, you don't think…?"

Ginny nodded. "My brother _loves_ you!" she said teasingly.

Hermione ignored this, and shook her head. "I can't deal with this, I'm going to bed." She lay back down and turned her back on Ginny.

"Alright, you can avoid talking about it now, but I will be back."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but she had a sneaking suspicion that Ginny was right.

* * *

Hermione dreaded facing Ron the next day. She wasn't sure what he would do, maybe he would start screaming at her again. Then again, she wasn't sure she would be able to resist screaming at him either.

However, maybe he would act like it didn't happen.

Knowing Ron, it was likely this was doubtful.

Hermione sighed, and started down the hall to the common room, to find both Ron and Ginny walking down to breakfast.

She considered running back up to her dormitory and staying there for the rest of the day. She couldn't do that, it's only Ron. Why did she care so much?

Hermione was about to turn and run, when she heard Ron say to Ginny as they exited the common room: "I don't get it Ginny, why do Hermione and me fight so much? We don't fight with Harry."

After hearing this, Hermione decided to follow behind Ron and Ginny down to the Hall, just close enough behind to hear what they were talking about.

She was able to catch the portrait before it slammed shut, and she was able to just catch Ginny's response: "…I can think of a few reasons."

"Oh, shut it," Ron said grumpily. "I don't know what to do, and I don't know how I can ever face her again. I don't want to fight anymore with her…I just snapped last night, I couldn't control it!"

"Ron, maybe it's that great, green monster in your chest."

Hermione's eyes widened at this response from Ginny, and she hastened to keep up without being noticed.

Ron didn't answer to her answer. Ginny sighed. "Ron, just go about your usual business, and if she gives you trouble, just walk away. But I rather doubt she'll want to start a fight. She wants to be friends with you as much as you with her."

"Then why do we _argue_ and _row_ and _fight_?" Ron asked, frustrated.

Ginny looked slightly sympathetic at her brother. "I think you both are hiding something."

By now, they were just outside the Great Hall. Ron and Ginny stopped walking, and Hermione hid behind a suit of armor.

"Ron, just do what you know is right. Don't listen to your jealousy."

Ron frowned at her at the word, "jealousy". Ginny smiled at his glare and left him by himself as she strode into the Great Hall. Ron sighed, and followed.

When Hermione knew they were gone, she stepped out from behind the suit of armor, and followed Ron into the Hall, knowing they would both patch up what had happened the night before.


	7. Panic

Harry and Cedric appeared out of nowhere, outside the maze, Harry clutching the Triwizard Cup.

But something was wrong, something was very wrong…

The whole crowd had stood up to see the champions, and when they did, there was a very audible gasp that spread throughout the whole audience.

Being in the back, Ron couldn't see what was going on down below, and he couldn't figure out why people were now screaming…

Next to him, Hermione was just as confused, but she was panicking more by the minute. "Ron, what's happened, what's happened?"

"I…I don't know…"

"Ron, something's happened to Harry, what's going on?"

Ron swallowed and, surprising both of them, took Hermione's hand and led her down the steps to the front.

As they got closer, Ron could see a crowd gathering around something. He fought his way through the mass of people, still with his hand clutching Hermione's, and stopped dead.

It was Cedric. Cedric Diggory was dead.

Ron felt faintish at the sight of his body. He had never seen a dead body in real life before, and it was terrifying. He heard an audible gasp behind him that could only belong to Hermione. He stumbled back, wanting to turn away from the sight, but his eyes would not let him. Then he heard a familiar voice very distantly calling his name…

"Ron, c'mon, I can't take this anymore…we have to find Harry..."

The mention of Harry shook Ron out of his reverie. He felt Hermione tugging on his hand, urging him to take his eyes away from the mangled body…

As if in a dream, he was led by Hermione away from Cedric and up to the castle. He felt so weak and vulnerable; _he_ should be the one being brave for Hermione as she stares at the body in horror.

There were crowds all around them, people screaming, yelling…but none of them were going up to the castle like him and Hermione…

From a distance, he heard Hermione's voice float into his own ear…

"…saw him take Harry up to the castle."

"W-What?" Ron said, dazed.

"Ron, I saw Professor Moody take Harry up to the castle," Hermione said quietly. "We have to find Dumbledore and tell him. Whatever happened, it can't be good."

The crowds around them seemed to be closing in on Ron…he searched the mass of people for Dumbledore before he finally spotted him…

"There! Hermione, he's over by Mr. Diggory!"

He dragged Hermione over to Dumbledore, who was comforting Mr. Diggory, who was sobbing over Cedric's body.

"Professor!" Hermione exclaimed. Dumbledore stood up from where he was examining the body. "Professor – "

"Where's Harry?"

Dumbledore asked her roughly and urgently, and Ron never knew Dumbledore act this way.

"Professor Moody took him up to the castle!"

Dumbledore stared at her as if he had never seen anything like her before. Then he said, "I suggest the two of you return to your common room. This is not a good place for you to be. That is, it is not a good place for anyone to be right now."

Before Hermione or Ron could protest, Dumbledore had rushed up to the castle.

Hermione turned to Ron. "D'you think we should listen to him?"

Ron was thinking the same question, and he gave Hermione his honest answer. "No, course not. But we might as well, no one knows what happened except Harry, so there's really no point staying down here."

Hermione sighed and looked at her feet. When she looked back up, her eyes were brimmed with tears. Ron could see the hurt and disbelief that mirrored his own feelings.

And then Ron did something that surprised the both of them; he took Hermione in his arms, and awkwardly hugged her. However, Hermione wrapped her arms around him also and squeezed him back. As they stood there, Ron felt all the awkward feelings he had towards Hermione for that moment rush out of him.

He didn't remember how long they stood there as Hermione cried into his chest; all he remembered was thinking of where in the castle Harry could have been.

When Hermione seemed to have dried out, Ron asked the predictable question: "Are you alright?"

Hermione nodded, and they both headed to the castle together.


	8. All About Harry

The worst part of that summer was the fact that Ron and Hermione had to keep everything from Harry. Every letter was secretive, and Ron knew Harry would think them to be vague. Hermione was sending the same kind of letters, the too-casual-to-be-from-Hermione letters. And all because Dumbledore told them to. Ron hated it.

"Ron, look out!"

WHAM.

Ron was suddenly spiraling down to earth, his broomstick falling next to him, and they both hit the earth with a loud _thump._

"Ron!"

Ron groaned, and lifting his head ever so slightly to see Fred, George, Ginny, and Hermione (who had arrived only days ago) rushing toward him.

"Ron, you alright?"

"Sorry mate, thought you saw that Bludger coming…"

Ron glared at Fred, who had obviously sent the Bludger for him in order to protect his own side of the Quidditch field. However, had Ron been paying attention, he could have avoided the nasty incident.

Ron groaned again as he sat up. "My head…Fred, why'd you hit it so hard?"

Fred gave a sheepish grin. "C'mon, Ron, at least now you'll pay attention. Staring off into space and hovering in midair isn't the cleverest thing to be doing during a Quidditch game."

Ron flashed him another dirty look, but Hermione was now fussing with his arm, which was bleeding.

"I can't fix your head, I'm afraid I would mess it up more…"

Ginny sat down next to Hermione and Ron on the ground. "Hermione, you never mess anything up. Now work your magic."

Hermione shook her head. "I'm not doing it. It could affect his memory if it goes wrong. Your arm is fine Ron, but we're going to have to get your mother to fix your head up."

No one argued with her after that. Hermione and Ginny stood up and helped Ron up, who was momentarily dizzy as he was steadied onto his feet.

Hermione and Ginny each took one of his arms, and when Ron began to fall back when his world began to spin, he felt Hermione push his back to keep him from falling.

They two girls guided him into the house, with the twins lagging behind, Fred slightly ashamed of his doing.

Mrs. Weasley came bustling up to them, asking what happened.

"He fell off his broom, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said. "He hit his head, quite hard, actually."

"Thanks to Mr. Bludger over here," Ginny glared at Fred.

"Fred!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed exasperatedly. "You hit the Bludger _towards_ him?"

"I thought he would duck!" Fred shouted defensively. "He was spacing out in the middle of the game, probably thinking about this one over here…" He gestured to Hermione, who deeply blushed along with Ron.

"Honestly!" Hermione glared at Fred. "You don't hit Bludgers _towards_ people whether their paying attention or not!"

"That's the game Hermione!" Fred retorted.

Hermione simply scoffed, ending the argument. They all watched as Mrs. Weasley performed a spell that relieved Ron of the headache.

"Better?" His mother asked.

"Yeah, loads!"

"Good. No more Quidditch today, lunch is ready anyway."

As they all sat down, Mrs. Weasley asked for Ginny to tell Mr. Weasley lunch was ready. Ron noticed Fred and George at the very end of the table, talking in low voices. Mrs. Weasley was placing food on the table, looking distacted. Ron noticed that he and Hermione could have a completely private conversation without being overheard, for what felt like the first time in forever.

He decided to say to her what he had wanted to say for the last fifteen minutes. "Thanks for fixing my arm."

Hermione looked up, surprised. "Oh! You're welcome Ron, it was nothing. I was really just worried about your head."

She was worried about him. He supposed it was nothing; she worried about everything, including people other than just himself.

"I don't feel right about not telling Harry about what's been happening," she said.

And the conversation was turned back to Harry. In Ron's mind, everyone else always seemed to be worried about Harry. He was worried about him too, but how many times does Hermione have to mention him?

"He'll be fine, Hermione. We're going to Grimmauld Place in two days, and Mum and Dad said Moody's going to bring a bunch of Aurors and bust him out of that muggle-infested place."

"I know, but we all know he's going to be_ really_ angry for keeping him in the dark," Hermione continued worriedly.

"Honestly Hermione, d'you know Harry at all? He'll be mad for maybe a day, but by the next day, he'll be over it." Ron paused and thought. "He's not like us."

Hermione raised her eyebrows, but he knew she knew he was right. Harry was only angry with someone if they got mad at him first. Ron and Hermione, however, could find at least one thing to argue about every day, and hold the grudge.

* * *

The next two days seemed to be solemn. Now that Voldemort was definitely back, according to Harry, things were going to change more than ever, and everyone seemed to be in a quiet and testy mood.

However, on the day they were going to leave for Grimmauld Place, the whole house was mad. People running up and down the stairs to retrieve their trunks and things they had forgotten. It was exactly like every time they were leaving for King's Cross.

They all left by Floo Powder; and everyone ended up in the right place.

As Ron stepped out of the unfamiliar fireplace, he took in his surroundings. The house was really old and eerie. There were portraits of people Ron did not recognize all over the house.

"All right, everyone upstairs and find a room to sleep in. Fred and George are together, Hermione and Ginny, and Ron, you'll share with Harry when he arrives. Bill, Remus, Alastor, Sirius, and Mundungus are all going to be here tomorrow, and Harry's coming tomorrow night…

This was the most that registered to Ron, for he tuned out his mother's voice as she too started verbally worrying about Harry.

He was suddenly in a bad mood. "C'mon." He took Hermione by the arm and led her upstairs.

As they reached the top of the steps, Ron looked up and heard Hermione gasp next to him.

There were at least a hundred house-elf heads mounted on the walls that led to the end of the hallway. Ron looked at Hermione, and saw the look of horror in her eyes. He knew of her soft spot for animals, especially house-elves, and he knew this was not the place she wanted to be.

"Don't look," he said to her firmly. She looked down at the floor, and he pushed her in the back to lead her across the corridor to an empty room, while making sure she kept her eyes down and closed.

When they were inside the room and Ron closed the door, Hermione was completely silent. She sat down on one of the two beds, and stared hard at the ground in front of her.

Ron sat next to her on the bed. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Hermione. The people who lived here are sick."

Hermione was silent for a minute more, then she spoke. "I just don't understand what kind of people would do this. It's absolutely unbelievable."

Ron had never heard Hermione so serious in his life. He saw the tears brimming in her eyes, and he instantly put an arm around her shoulders. She hid her face into his shoulder and sobbed for the house-elves.

However, she surfaced only moments later and practically yelled compared to her voice previously: "Why would anyone do that, Ron? What kind of _people_…Ron, you would never do something like that, right?"

Ron looked hard, almost curiously into her pleading eyes. "I would never do anything that I know would hurt you or anything you love, Hermione."

Hermione's face softened, and turned a faint pink. Ron could feel his own ears and face burning.

Hermione shook her head. "It doesn't matter anyway. No matter how hard I try, or what I believe in, there's still going to be loads of house-elves working as slaves for horrid wizards."

Usually, Ron would've told Hermione she was wasting her time trying to free the house-elves, because they like to work. But the look on Hermione's miserable face and the sight of her tears told him she needed confidence. Besides, this was the first time Ron had seen Hermione give up on anything. Her determination was one of the many things he admired about her.

"Hermione, just because these people mistreat house-elves, doesn't mean everyone does. I bet there are a lot of people out there who are trying to free house-elves just like you."

Hermione looked at him, almost doubtfully. "Really?"

Ron didn't completely believe his own words; he thought there might be a few others who wanted to free the elves, but as far as he was concerned, Hermione was one in a million.

"Yeah. But even if I'm wrong, you don't need a bunch of other people to make a difference in the world, Hermione."

Hermione smiled. He loved her smile, especially since her teeth had been fixed. "I suppose you're probably right."

Ron gasped. "Did I just hear Miss Hermione Granger admit someone else is right?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Just this once. Anyway, I suppose you didn't make that up just now. Your mother told you that didn't she?"

Ron smirked. "Wrong. My dad. When I was nine, I told him I wanted to be an Auror, and save the world, but only if my friends help me with it. And my dad told me I can save the world on my own."

Hermione grinned, but then it faded away. "Sure about that?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Harry can't defeat Voldemort on his own. I know it."

And it was back to Harry. Ron was determined to keep his anger inside, so as not to start anything with Hermione. He swallowed and said, "I don't think so. What about when Voldemort was defeated the first time? Harry was just a baby, he didn't do anything to protect himself, and he's made a difference on the world already."

"What's that, then?"

Ron faced her. "He gave us hope."

Hermione smiled that perfect smile and Ron's anger melted away for all three of them.


	9. Agreement

Harry had been different since his arrival, and everyone had noticed. Hermione had told Ron at least ten times that she knew he was going to be like this, but Ron ignored her each time she spoke.

The first day of term, Harry was in an exceptionally bad mood. However, that could be because Ron and Hermione continuously wanted to have a go at each other.

Hermione had snapped at Ron for something stupid he had said, she couldn't remember, it wasn't important now. Then Harry had completely flipped out before Ron could retort, and got up and left the table.

Ron and Hermione now sat at the table, watching Harry leave the Great Hall, both with dumbfounded looks on their faces.

Once he was gone, Ron turned to Hermione and said, "What _is_ it with him lately?"

Hermione shook her head. "I don't think it's the fact that we didn't tell him about the Order anymore. It's his whole life. I think its Voldemort and the fact that a lot of people don't believe that he's back. I think we're in for a lot criticism this year. All of us."

Ron frowned. "Why you and me?"

"Because we believe Harry, and some people will think we're mad for doing so."

She sighed. "But I think we're going to have to really be careful around him, just until he gets out of this faze he's in. For now, let's agree not to argue in front of him."

Ron smirked. "Us? But that's us! And Harry's usually used to it…"

Hermione looked pleadingly at him. "_Please_, Ron? I promise, we can fight all we want when he's not around, just can you please do it for Harry?"

Ron looked doubtful, but he smirked again and said, "I'll do it for you."

Hermione felt her own face burn, and she saw Ron's ears turn redder than usual. She nodded and said, "Thank you."


	10. Dating

"Where _is_ Harry?"

Ron looked up from his Transfiguration homework to see Hermione staring at the portrait hole. Ron chuckled.

"He probably just got…held up."

"With what? What's so important…" she stopped and looked as if she suddenly understood something. "D'you think it's…_Cho_?"

Ron shot her a sarcastic look. "D'you think so?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut it. Anyway, it could be something else. Fred and George have been cornering after meetings a lot, talking about using their Weasley Wizard Wheezes products on Umbridge."

Ron shook his head. "Trust me Hermione, it's definitely Cho. Honestly though, I don't think Harry and Cho are all too perfect for each other."

"Me neither," Hermione agreed. "They're just a bit too awkward around each other."

Hermione continued to write, but Ron was now distracted. He noticed the letter she was writing was much longer than her usual ones he gets from her. "Who _are_ you writing to? That can't possibly be to your parents."

Hermione glared at him. "It's none of your business, Ron. I can write to anyone I want, I don't need your permission."

Ron glowered down at his parchment, his own ears glowing. Why did she have to be so secretive all the time?

There was silence for about ten minutes, before Ron looked up again. "So who do you think would be good for Harry?"

Hermione looked up. "What?"

"If Cho isn't a good choice, who would be good for Harry to date?"

Hermione looked down at her parchment and continued to write. "I don't know, Ron. I don't think Harry needs to focus on a girlfriend right now. There are too many other things for him to worry about at the moment."

Ron frowned. "I think he could use the extra support. I mean, I think Cho believes him, she must because she's in Dumbledore's Army."

Hermione shrugged and looked down again. Ron scowled. He didn't want to do his homework anymore, so his next interest was Hermione's attention.

Ron sighed and asked the question he had wanted to ask Hermione for a long time.

"What about me?"

Hermione's eyes flew off her parchment and onto him. "What d'you mean?"

"Who d'you think would want to date me?" Ron thought this was a stupid question, but he secretly wanted Hermione to say she would want to date him. He had liked her as more than a friend for ages, and he now wanted things to move faster.

Hermione, however, turned a deep scarlet. She looked down at her parchment once again. "Well…I don't know…I suppose a girl who…who knows you like I do. A girl who would stand by you no matter what, and help you when you need it. Probably a girl who loves to laugh, and loves your jokes, and is clever about knowing what sets you off. Ron, I think whoever gets chained to you in the end, is a very lucky girl. You can count on that."

Hermione looked up and met his eyes for the first time in an hour. They both blushed deeply, and Ron looked down at his parchment again. There was silence for the longest time, until Ron looked up and said, "Thanks, Hermione."

Hermione met his eyes again, and smiled. "Anytime. So what about me?"

Ron smirked. "Definitely not Viktor Krum."

"Then who?"

Ron stared into the fire that blazed next to him. "I guess someone who knows better than to complain in front of you, because that'll set you off. Someone who knows your favorite flower is a rose. Soemone who won't let anything happen to you, no matter what's happening around them. Someone who…who will sacrifice their own life in order to save yours."

Ron faced Hermione, who looked stunned and touched. "Because that's what you deserve, Hermione. You deserve to live. And not everyone deserves that."

Hermione was staring at him as if she had never seen anything like him before. Her mouth was half open, and her eyes had such a tender look in them, Ron feared she would kiss him right then and there.

She finally closed her mouth and looked back down at her parchment. Tears were brimming around her eyes. "Thank you, Ron. That means a lot to me."

Ron smirked. "Yeah, but d'you still think I'm a git?"

Hermione laughed. "Always."

"Are we still best friends?"

Hermione smiled. "Forever."


	11. Confusion

Hermione woke in the hospital wing, feeling like she had hit her head far too hard. She looked around to take in her surroundings. Ron was asleep in the bed to the left of hers, and Ginny on her right. As far as she could tell, it was the middle of the night, and she had no idea how she had gotten here.

Then she remembered. She was at the Ministry with Harry and Ron, and Neville and Luna and Ginny were there too…but what had happened? She had been attacked by a Death Eater and that's all she could remember. What had happened to Harry and the rest? Was he alright? Were they able to save Sirius? She couldn't think straight…the ache in her chest and head was killing her…

She looked around at Ron. He looked so serene while he was asleep. She almost liked him better asleep than awake. At least he couldn't properly criticize her while asleep.

She sat up in bed, and found her head began to spin and her chest swell even worse. However, she got up from her own bed and kneeled down next to Ron's.

She stared at him for half a moment, then poked him in the arm, hard, to save herself a lot of poking and prodding.

Ron stirred a bit, but not completely, so Hermione poked him again. This time Ron woke up like he was having a seizure, and Hermione had to hold his chest down on the bed to keep him from waking the whole school.

"Ssh, Ron, it's only me!"

"Hermione?" Ron blinked. "What're you doing in our dorm?"

"We're in the hospital wing, Ronald. Do you know what happened at the Ministry?"

"Ministry?" Ron looked blank for a moment, then seemed to remember where they were only hours ago. "I dunno…I remember getting split up from you and Harry and Neville, but that's all."

If Ron didn't remember, he must have been hit by a curse that effected his consciousness as well. Or maybe he had been hit by a Memory Charm…

"What d'you reckon happened with Sirius?" Hermione asked seriously.

"Sirius is dead."

Hermione turned when she heard the third voice, and saw Ginny lying in her bed, wide awake.

Hermione wasn't quite sure she had heard correctly. "What?"

"Sirius is dead, Lupin told me." Ginny looked blank and stony, as if all the hope she had ever had was gone.

"Are you sure? I mean… are you sure you heard right, Ginny?"

Ginny merely nodded, and stared up at the ceiling. Hermione had never seen her look so miserable.

She turned back to Ron, who was also silently staring up at the ceiling. When he finally spoke, only one word seemed to pass his lips: "Harry."

Hermione's eyes brimmed with tears. Though she couldn't remember what had happened that night, she still cried for her best friend and his godfather. "Harry."

Suddenly, she needed the most comfort she could get. She leaned her head against Ron's body, and hugged his arm. She felt his hand on her back, supporting her, though she knew he could barely hold back his own tears.

The two didn't get any sleep that night, for they both needed to cry for their best friend and his losses.


	12. Runaway Witch

Because of the war, Hermione's summer with her parents was short. She told them Ron had asked her to stay with him and his family at the Burrow for the last month of the summer. And of course, Hermione and her parents had a huge argument over it.

"Hermione, you are always with those two boys! You go back to the wizarding world earlier and earlier each year! I don't get it; do you think that _they're_ your family now?"

Her father's yells could be heard throughout the house, but Hermione prayed the neighbors didn't hear the word "wizarding".

"Dad, they've been my best friends for five years! There's a war starting, and they need me! All three of us know they'd be dead before their second year if it wasn't for me!"

"Hermione, if there's a war starting, I don't think I even want you back in that world!"

Hermione sighed. "You can't stop me! I'll be of age in a month, and then you can control me no longer!"

"Yes, but you won't be of age in _this world!_"

Before Hermione could retort, a third voice sounded through the room. "Alright, that is _quite_ enough."

Mrs. Granger had been watching the feud from the doorway, but neither Hermione nor her father had noticed her presence.

She walked slowly into the room and stopped in front of Hermione. "Hermione, I'm sorry, but you cannot leave early this year."

"But – "

"No. Upstairs, if you please."

Hermione glared, then ran for the stairs, climbing the steps two at a time, and slamming her bedroom door hard.

They had no idea what she was going through! Didn't they understand that she needed to help Harry? Voldemort is probably planning to attack any day now, and Harry needed all the help he could get.

Hermione thought of something else. The number one reason she really wanted to go to the Burrow was because she really missed Harry and Ron. After she found out she was a witch, she knew the muggle world was not where she belonged. Anyway, after five summers of returning to it after going to Hogwarts, she still didn't have one friend in the muggle world.

Hermione stayed in her room for the rest of the day, and didn't even go downstairs for dinner. She fell asleep crying for reasons unknown to her, and when she woke up at two in the morning, she knew what she had to do.

An hour later, Hermione was wandering the streets of London while lugging her trunk behind her and going in the direction of the Leaky Cauldron.

The streets of London were not the best place to be wandering at three in the morning. Every so often, Hermione saw a gang of frightening- looking people up ahead, and she did her best to avoid these people.

When she finally arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, she was exhausted. She had enough wizarding money to pay for a room, but she was sure Tom would give her a discount, especially since he knew she was a best friend of Harry Potter.

Hermione pulled out the letter she had received from Ron a week before, and read the last line for the millionth time:

_We'll be in Diagon Alley on the fourth of August, and you can come home with us if you like. Harry will be there on the fifth._

She sighed. It was now three-thirty in the morning, and the third of August. She had a day to herself in Diagon Alley. It sounded perfect.

When Tom saw the tired Hermione, he immediately gave her a room, free of charge. But she insisted on paying with a few Galleons. She entered her room, and collapsed on her bed, falling asleep immediately.

Hermione slept most of the next day to catch up with the sleep she had lost the night before. When she finally did get up, she visited Flourish and Blotts to buy her new books. She spent the morning reading the textbooks for the new school year at Florean Fortescue's. At noon, she ate at the Leaky Cauldron, and then remembered something important.

Ron had told her in one of his letters that Fred and George had bought a shop in Diagon Alley. Hemrione struggled to remember the name they had called it…She knew it had "Weasley" in the name for sure…

She began to walk down the street, fighting to recall the name. Then she passed a store she just seemed to notice, despite the number of times she had been to Diagon Alley.

It was a joke shop. From the setup in the window, it looked just like Zonko's joke shop in Hogsmeade.

Hermione looked up at the sign, which read: "Weasley Wizard Wheezes".

This was definitely the place. Hermione pushed open the door to the shop and was greeted by the most gruesome, hilarious, awkward, and immature products she had ever seen. And she instantly fell in love with every inch of the shop.

She walked around looking at every product, feeling like each of them reminded her so much of life at the burrow. Then she saw two very familiar redheads at the back of the store.

Fred and George Weasley were showing a crowd of people one of their products, evidently called Edible Dark Marks.

"…so they're give you a temporary Dark Mark on your arm when you eat the candy. Three sickles a package!"

Fred stopped speaking as his eyes caught Hermione's face. She smiled.

"Excuse us, but a very important customer has entered our shop. Verity will show you all the rest of the new products." A mousy-looking woman appeared and shepherded the group away.

Hermione smiled at the twins. She never cared for their jokes and pranks before as much as she did at this very moment.

"So, if it isn't our clever Hermione Granger." Fred grinned at her. "How d'you like our little setup?"

"This shop is absolutely brilliant," Hermione answered honestly. "Where'd you get the money?"

"Just a loan from a friend," George answered simply. "But you know, Miss Granger, our little brother Ronnie has been talking about you all summer."

"Has he now?"

"Oh yeah. Anything we say he's able to –"

"- relate it to you, of course."

Hermione blushed. "I suppose he simply misses us – "

"What d'you mean by 'us'?"

Hermione looked confused. "Harry and I, of course."

The twins smirked. "Oh, but he hasn't been talking about _Harry_ nearly as much as he's been talking about _you_. Ask anyone in the family and they'll tell you that you've been the main thing on Ron's mind."

Hermione gave a look of doubt, so the twins pressed on. "Come to think of it, you could probably ask Mum and Dad, and they would thoroughly agree."

Hermione was getting a bit angry. Surely Ron couldn't be talking about her that much…could he?

"Oh, come of it. Ron has never thought of me as more than a friend." Hermione insisted on this stubbornly, and walked away from the twins a few feet away to sit in a chair facing a window that showed the streets of Diagon Alley.

Immediately, the twins were behind her. They both faced her from either side of her face, so the only way to avoid their faces was for Hermione to continue staring out the window.

She heard Fred's voice from her right. "Come on, Granger. Everyone's waiting for you to make a move on our brother, because we all know he won't."

She then heard a similar but somehow different voice in her left ear. "You both are much too stubborn for your own good, and its not getting you two anywhere."

Together, they said, "Make a move before someone else does, Granger."

Hermione obstinately kept her eyes on the glass of the window, pretending to ignore the twins. But it wasn't working and they all knew it.

She felt the twins leave her side. When she was sure they were far at the back of the shop, she took her eyes off the window and they landed in her lap. She dropped her head into her hands and ran her fingers through her hair.

The feelings she had had for Ron for the last five years were about to burst with a mixture of confusion and excitement. Hermione had never hated someone with such viciousness, and loved the same person with such a passion, that she had not known what to do about it.

When she finally decided to get up, she realized the sun had begun to set. Fred and George were at the back of the shop again, too busy to bother her. She considered sneaking out, but decided the twins deserved better than that.

She started looking at products, and realized the twins' eyes were on her. She ignored them until she could no longer, for they had approached her with greater speed she had expected.

"Hermione, we know you're still angry, but if you want to buy anything, everything's half-price for you."

Despite her mood, Hermione smiled at the twins, who grinned back. They did sometimes have Ron's sweetness when they wanted to.

An hour later, Hermione left Weasley Wizard Wheezes with a bag full of products she believed she could use on Ron when he's being a prat. She had dinner at the Leaky Cauldron and fell asleep instantly after.

* * *

She awoke to the sound of someone calling her name. "Hermione…"

The same person was poking her arm. Hermione swatted away the arm, and refused to open her eyes.

"Hermione…"

Hermione groaned and opened her eyes. There was Ginny, sitting on the edge of her bed, her long red hair falling down her back and her freckles standing out more than ever before.

"Ginny!" Hermione embraced her friend, and Ginny hugged back. "How'd you get in here?"

"Tom let me in. He knows we're friends, and he trusts my family more than any other."

Hermione smiled. "How long have you been in Diagon Alley?"

"All morning. Mum dragged us here at the crack of dawn so she could get a few things, and now all we have to get is you." Ginny smiled. "C'mon, everyone's downstairs, and Ron's been _dying_ to see you all summer."

Hermione ignored this last comment, and quickly got dressed. Ginny then led her downstairs, where Hermione could see the Weasley family from the top of the staircase.

She loved each of them in their own way. Mrs. Weasley, who cared and worried about everyone and everything. Mr. Weasley, a not-so-wealthy but good man. Bill, the cool eldest with a successful job. Charlie, a dragon-lover who had traveled more than anyone. Percy was not there, for he had turned his back on his family. How could he? Hermione thought. The Weasleys would always be the family she goes to when she has no one else, and she had trouble understanding why Percy was so crude.

Fred and George were sitting at the table with the family also. She was no longer angry with them; on the contrary, she was glad they had told her that Ron had been talking about her all summer.

Ron. There he was, talking to Bill. Hermione didn't pretend that she didn't hear her own name pass his lips a few times as he spoke rapidly, almost worriedly, to his elder brother.

"Where is she? D'you think she never got the message? She never wrote back; even to say she _wouldn't_ be here! Honestly, this isn't like Hermione…."

Hermione started to approach Ron, but his back was facing her. She noticed his red hair had gotten redder, if that was even possible. His freckles stood out of his summer tan that Hermione loved to see every year. He had shot up again in height, now above six feet. She noticed Bill staring at her from over Ron's shoulder, who was still worrying verbally. She made a signal for Bill to be quiet, who didn't seem to be able to cut in on Ron's rant anyway.

"D'you think Errol messed up the letter somehow? Stupid owl, probably sent my letter to Australia…"

Hermione was directly behind him now, and tapped his shoulder. When he turned around, Hermione flung herself into his arms.

"Hermione!"

She ignored his gasp and kept a tight grip on his neck, while she felt him put his own arms around her waist. She didn't seem to realize how much she had missed him until she was in his arms.

They broke apart to find most of the Weasley family staring at them. Ron and Hermione both deeply blushed, and the family went back to talking with each other, pretending like they didn't see anything.

Hermione turned back to Ron. "Hi."

Ron grinned. "Hi. So, you got my letter? Or are just here by coincidence?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Yes, I got your letter. And I did get to see Fred and George's shop."

"Lucky! Mum says we're not going until a month from now, when we have to get school supplies. She's on a big "clean the house" kick and she only wanted to come here to get some things and pick up you. Now we have to go rushing back home to clean the house." Ron leaned in at Hermione a bit. "The _muggle_ way."

Hermione gave a mock gasp. "Oh no, not the _muggle_ way! What will you ever do? You must be permanently scarred for life!"

"Oi, shut it, you. I don't know how you do it. I guess it's not like I can use magic anyway, but still! Our house will never be acceptably clean, we have too many people who come and mess it up."

"Ron, I'll help you. You might not know how to clean, but I do it all the time at home. Besides, you need practice."

Ron frowned. "Why?"

Hermione smirked. "Doing things the muggle way builds character. And character is good for you."

She took a step closer to him and poked his chest with an index finger. "And _you_, Ron Weasley, are too lazy for your own good."

"Hey, I resent that!" Ron said. "I do my homework _on my own_…most of the time."

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, sometimes," Ron gave in. "But that's how I appreciate you more, you help me with my homework."

"Uh huh," Hermione said disbelievingly. However, she did love it when Ron made up excuses for things. It was always entertaining.

At that moment, Mrs. Weasley approached the two. "Hermione, dear, where are your parents?"

Hermione hesitated. "Oh…er… they dropped me off at the Leaky Cauldron yesterday. They wanted to see you, but they just couldn't get away from the office today."

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "Well, we all hope their alright and that you _all _are doing fine."

"We are, thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione replied.

Mrs. Weasley looked as if she didn't believe her, but she covered with a quick smile. "We'll be leaving soon; we're Flooing to the Burrow, alright?"

"Right."

Mrs. Weasley walked away, and the moment she was out of earshot, Ron turned to Hermione. "You're lying."

"What? No, I'm not."

Ron gave her a knowing look. "Hermione I know you a bit better than that. Now what's going on?"

Hermione avoided his eyes. "I'll tell you later. Too many people around."

This was true; Hermione did feel as if the Weasley family had closed in on her and Ron.

She found herself in the Weasley fireplace only moments later. Someone was taking her hand and helping out onto the hearth, and she suspected it was Bill. Ron arrived only moments after her, stumbling out of the fireplace.

Before the rest of the family could arrive, Ron took Hermione's arm and led her up to his room.

Once inside, Ron closed the door and sat on his bed with difficulty, for like his entire room, it was a mess.

"Alright, what's going on?"

Hermione sighed and sat next to him. "Ron, why d'you want to know?"

Ron rolled his eyes and started playing with a hole in his sheets. "Why d'you _think_ I want to know? I want to know because something's bothering you, Hermione. And you're not entirely yourself when something's bothering you."

He looked up and said softly, "and that bothers me."

Hermione blushed fiercely, and looked down. "I ran away. From home."

When Hermione looked back up at him, he didn't look angry or upset or sympathetic, he simply looked expressionless and blank. So Hermione continued.

"My parents wouldn't let me go to your house. I told them I needed to be with you and Harry because the war's starting, and Harry will need all the help he could get. Then they were going on about how they wanted me here _because_ of the war. So I snuck out at two in the morning and left a note. I've been staying at the Leaky Cauldron for the last two days."

Tears were welling up in Hermione's eyes. "I suspect they'll be furious with me when I come home at Christmas, but I had to do it. I felt like I was suffocating in the muggle world, Ron! I know it's not where I belong."

Her tears were now running freely down her face. Ron quickly embraced her, and she squeezed him back. "I feel like such a delinquent."

Ron laughed. "Hermione, you're not a criminal, and you will never be, even if you tried. You just needed space, and you cracked."

Ron let go of her and looked into her eyes. "And you missed us. I can tell."

Hermione nodded. "You've no idea. It's only been a month, and now that the war's started, I feel that you and Harry will die without me."

Ron smirked. "We probably would. I'm glad you came back, Hermione, even if you weren't supposed to."

Hermione sighed. "It's strange. Once I first stepped into the wizarding world, I felt like the muggle world was just dragging me down. I felt like…like I belonged for once." She lay down onto his bed, and Ron followed suit.

"Because you _do _belong here, Hermione. You're a witch, and you belong here with me, and Harry, and at Hogwarts."

Hermione smiled, which made him smile his gorgeous smile. She was home.


	13. In the Hospital Wing

Ron woke to the sound of two voices. One he recognized to be Madam Pomfrey, and the other, he couldn't be sure, but it sounded like Hermione. Hermione? Why would she be here? She was so furious with him; he feared she would never forgive him for dating Lavender.

Ron opened his eyes, and there was Hermione talking frantically with Madam Pomfrey. She was in a chair next to his bed, but she was turned around in it so she faced Pomfrey.

"Please, Madam Pomfrey, can't I stay for a few more minutes? I need to see if he'll wake."

Was Hermione really worried about him? The way he had treated her, he felt like she would never forgive him. Not that he had anything to be sorry _for._

"Alright, fine. Mr. Weasley better appreciate you, Miss Granger. He's got a good friend in you."

Hermione blushed and turned back to Ron. Ron closed his eyes before she could see him awake.

He heard her sigh sadly, and just the sound made him wish he had died from the poison. The sadness in her voice was unbearable. "Oh, Ron. Why are you such an idiot?"

His back was turned to her, but he shook a bit with moral regret and slight aggravation at her words.

He heard the door to the hospital wing open and close. A familiar voice Ron knew to be Harry filled the room.

"Hermione, you've been here for three days. He's fine," Harry said. He sounded weary and tired.

"I just need to make sure," Hermione mumbled, and Ron felt her eyes on him.

"Lavender won't like it if she sees you here all the time," Harry tried once again.

Ron heard the scraps of chair legs on the floor, and Hermione leaving the chair. "Fine. But only because I know you're right."

There were footsteps, and Ron dared to open his eyes as little as possible. He could see Hermione almost literally being dragged out of the hospital wing by Harry, her eyes still on him.


	14. Forgiven

Harry left the common room, leaving Ron and Hermione confused. He had just taken the Felix Felicis in order to get the memory he needed from Slughorn, but then he told the two he had a good feeling he had to go to Hagrid's hut. To Hermione, none of it made sense.

"Why is he going to Hagrid's?" Ron asked her.

Hermione had no idea, and she told Ron this. What could Harry possibly find that was of use to him at Hagrid's? Unless he knew Slughorn was there…

"He's got a good feeling about going to Hagrid's, so I think he should trust it," Hermione said. "You should always trust your feelings, even if you don't want to."

Ron was silent; he seemed to be thinking about what she had just said. Finally, he spoke:

"Hey, do you remember that game we played right before fourth year?"

Hermione frowned, and put down her quill, trying to think of what Ron was talking about. Then it hit her.

"You mean the did-you-know game that we had a big row over?"

Ron grinned and nodded. "D'you have any new secrets you need to share with me?"

Hermione smiled while picking up her quill again and began writing again. "That depends; do you have any new secrets _I _need to know about?"

"Maybe."

Hermione shook her head, grinning, and continued writing, but she felt Ron's eyes still on her.

"C'mon, Hermione." Ron reached out and took the quill out of her hand. "Can't you give up the homework for one night to give me some attention?"

Hermione looked up and say pleading in Ron's eyes. If it had been any other night, she would've ignored him. But he looked as if he really needed a friend, especially after their three-month-long row with Lavender. He gave her his famous grin, which she knew now she was in love with.

Hermione sighed, and unable to resist Ron's look, said, "Alright, just let me finish this paper, I've got a few sentences to go, and I'll be free for the night, I promise."

Ron still looked impatient, nonetheless, he said, "Fine."

She worked in silence as Ron waited. When she finished, she put away the parchment and quills and joined Ron on the rug in front of the common room fire. "Alright, I'm ready."

"Wait." Ron reached into his pocket and pulled out a package out of his pocket. He held it up for Hermione to see: "Chocolate Frogs. A necessity." He passed one to Hermione, who bit the head off right away.

"All right. You wanted to play, so you go first," Hermione said.

"Right." Ron pulled that face that told Hermione he was thinking hard. "Got one."

"Tell me."

"Did you know…I love muggles?"

A strange smile creeped across Hermione's face. "What d'you mean?"

"Fascinated by them. 'Bout the only thing I am fascinated by, actually. Anything that has anything to do with muggles I love."

Hermione was confused. "Then why do you always make fun of your dad for liking muggles?"

Ron gave a guilty grin. "Well, because everyone else does. I think if everyone knows I like muggles just as much as my dad, they'll think I'm a suck-up or something."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "There's nothing wrong with liking muggles, Ron. It's one of the reasons you're my best friend. Can you imagine me being friends with someone like Malfoy, who hates Mudbloods like me?"

"Don't call yourself that!" Ron snapped sharply. Hermione looked taken aback, but Ron didn't falter at her surprised look.

"I…can't stand that word," Ron stuttered. "I don't care who says it, you or Malfoy. I can't stand people who are so prejudice like that, especially the Malfoys, and I can't take that word."

"Ron, I'm sorry," Hermione said. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it, which she was no longer afraid to do. "I didn't know you were so sensitive to that word."

Ron squeezed her hand back, somewhat hesitantly, and said, "It's alright. It's your turn anyway."

Hermione let go of his hand and searched her mind for a new secret.

"Did you know…I thought you were dead when you were poisoned?"

This seemed to spark Ron's interest. "I was fine, Hermione. Just a small mishap." He smiled an almost guilty grin and looked as if it was no big deal. This small gesture seemed to make Hermione's blood boil. Before she could stop herself, she completely lost the anger she had been building for the last three months.

"'JUST A SMALL MISHAP'? ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Hermione's voice was heard throughout the common room, and thankfully, she and Ron were the only students in it. "DO YOU HONESTLY THINK -" she was suddenly cut off by her own realization. Ron was unconscious when she had been told he had been poisoned. He had absolutely no idea how frightened she had been.

She sighed and sat back down. She hadn't realized she had shot up off of it only moments ago. "You haven't any idea, and you never will, how scared I was for you."

Ron looked confused and scared at the same time. _He should be,_ Hermione thought. _He deserves it after_ _what he had me go through._ After a silence that almost made Hermione shout out loud, Ron finally seemed to respond.

"Really?"

Hermione's mouth fell open with disbelief and exasperation. Was he really _that_ thick? "Yes Ron, I was so worried, I spent more time in the hospital wing than outside for the whole time you were in it."

This seemed to amaze Ron, but Hermione continued. "I couldn't believe it had happened to you. I even got yelled at by Lavender a few times, but I thought it was worth it.

"When Harry told me you had been poisoned, I nearly died. I was so sure you were dead until Harry told me otherwise. I just can't believe you would be that _stupid_, Ron. I mean, didn't you realize the chocolate was filled with love potion when you tasted it? I just can't believe you most of the time, Ron!"

She felt tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't understand why she was crying for _him. _He had not only ignored her for the last three months, but he snogged her roommate as well. Hermione no longer could deny it: she loved Ron Weasley, and she was sure he was trying to make her jealous by dating Lavender. Hermione Granger wasn't stupid, whether the problem was about figuring out boys or finishing a two-foot long essay. She knew she was too stubborn to confront Ron about this, and he was the same. Knowing Ron, he probably was too blind to notice what his feelings were telling him.

_Or maybe he doesn't feel that way about you at all,_ a cruel voice in her head told her. Hermione instantly shoved the voice away in the back of her mind.

"- I swear I'll never do it again."

Hermione was shaken from her own private world at the sudden realization of that she was still in the common room with Ron. She hadn't heard what he had said. "What did you say?"

Ron exhaled. "I said I'm sorry I made you so upset and I swear I'll never do it again. I know I'll never be able to make anything I ever did wrong up to you." He hung his head and stood up, about to make his way to the boy's dorm.

Hermione jumped up and before he could leave the room, she said, "Ron, wait."

Ron turned around and Hermione was able to resist the temptation to roll her eyes. Ron was giving her his best feel-sorry-for-me look, the look he had shot her many times after the Quidditch games he had lost Gryffindor the year before. Despite the fact that she knew Ron was feeling sorry for himself, her heart broke partially, even though he had ignored her for the so many months.

She took a few long strides to close the many feet in between them, and stood in front of Ron, staring at him for a few moments.

She sighed. "I do forgive you, and you're right. You probably will never make it up to me, for anything you've done to me." She hesitated, then rose on her toes slightly and kissed Ron on his cheek. "But I'll always forgive you eventually, even it takes years, I will always forgive you."


	15. Only Thinking of You

Harry hastily left the common room, leaving Ron and Hermione stunned and awestruck. Ron was holding the bottle of Felix Felicis and staring after Harry with bewilderment. Hermione was standing next to him, clutching his arm with fear. He had just told them he was going with Dumbledore to help destroy Voldemort.

Ron blinked and seemed to come to reality. He turned to Hermione. "You need to take some of this," he said, indicating the Felix Felicis. "Leave enough for Ginny."

He held the bottle out for her to take, but Hermione only stared at it. "Aren't you going to take some too?"

Ron bit his lip, and bravely shook his head. "I don't need any of it. I need to make sure you and Ginny are safe if we have to fight tonight."

Hermione's mouth fell slightly, she was clearly touched. "Ron, Harry said we all need to take some, I'm not taking any of it until you do."

"C'mon, Hermione, don't do this –"

Hermione gave Ron one of her famous death stares, but Ron was the least bit threatened. "That doesn't work on me anymore. I've known you for five years, Hermione, your death stares do nothing to me."

Hermione raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. Ron stubbornly forced the bottle into her hand. "C'mon, just take it Hermione, why are you being so stubborn?"

"_I'm _being stubborn?" Hermione's eyes lit up like fire. Not a good sign.

"_You're_ the one who won't take the stupid potion!" Hermione accused, tears brimming the sides of her eyes.

"God, don't you understand?" Ron shouted. "You need it much more than I do, I don't want to see you blown up by a Death Eater!"

"Ron, I'm a much better dueler than you, if anyone needs it, it's you!" Hermione seemed to regret what she said right after she said it, because her face showed it all. Ron pursed his lips, internally debating on whether to scream back at her or not. He sighed, and leaned against a nearby table, drowning Hermione in the billowing silence.

"Ron, I'm sorry –"

"Hermione." Ron said her name suddenly, and Hermione stopped. "I know you think I'm being a stubborn prat but really, I'm only thinking of you." It had taken all of Ron's willpower to say that out loud. Hermione looked surprised and taken aback, but touched all the same. She seemed to realize right there that all Ron was trying to do was protect her.

But Hermione being Hermione, she stood her ground. "And I'm only thinking of _you_, Ron. I've already felt that awful feeling that you get when you think someone's dead when you were poisoned, and I don't want to feel it again."

Hermione sighed. She sat down on one of the tables in the common room. What she said next was barely heard, and Ron had to strain to hear. "I can't lose you, Ron."

Ron was inwardly stunned. He had no idea how much she cared. After three years of denying it, he had finally accepted that he was in love with Hermione Granger.

His thoughts were interrupted by Hermione's voice.

"Can't we just split it with Ginny equally? That way we're all lucky on the same level."

Ron wasn't immensely happy, especially since they all had a slight chance of dying, including Hermione. Despite this, he nodded, mostly to avoid more arguing.

Hermione held out the bottle for him. "I promise you, I'll drink after you if you drink first."

Ron hesitated for a moment. He then took the bottle from her, and despite his agreement to her, he tried to drink as little as possible. He passed it to her, and she drank enough to leave enough for Ginny.

* * *

When Ginny appeared in the common room a few minutes later, Ron and Hermione told her where Harry had gone. Her reaction was exactly what he expected, but he had never seen Ginny look so heartbroken.

"He left without telling _me_?" she raged. "But – surely he understands – I mean, doesn't he _care_ what could happen?"

Ron and Hermione put their arms around Ginny's shoulders, and it was a miracle she didn't throw them off. "Doesn't he care enough about me to find me and tell me where he's going?"

Ron could feel his ears burning with embarrassment for his sister and best friend. However, Hermione didn't feel the same way.

"He loves you, Ginny," she said. "Harry had to go, Dumbledore was waiting. We were in the common room, and if you had been there, he would have said goodbye. He's only thinking of you, Ginny, and he wants you to take some of the Felix Felicis."

Hermione held the bottle out for her, and Ginny reluctantly took it. "I take it later. I'm going to bed." She climbed the stairs to the girls' dorm and disappeared.

"She'll be fine," Hermione said automatically.

Ron wasn't so sure. "Only if Harry comes back alive."

At this, Hermione's brown eyes widened and her face flushed. Before Ron could react, she had a firm grip on his collar and Ron was actually scared of her for the first time.

"You listen to me, Ron Weasley!" she said through clenched teeth. "Harry is _not _going to die. He's with Dumbledore, so he'll be fine! Anyway, he _can't_ die. He's survived so many times, it's probably impossible for anyone to kill him."

"Alright, Hermione!" Ron took her hands and attempted to loosen them from his collar. "I'm sorry, it's just with the war –"

"You think the war's creating stress for _you_?" Hermione's voice was slowly growing higher with each sentence. "You think _you're_ cracking under pressure because of the war?" Her voice choked with tears, and she loosened her grip on Ron's collar, much to his relief.

They stood like this for a few more moments, Hermione's hands still tight on Ron's collar, and Ron's eyes not leaving hers.

She finally gave up and let go of his collar. "He'll be fine." she said, as if to reassure herself more so than Ron.

"Hermione –"

Hermione ran her hands through her bushy hair and ignored Ron. Ron approached her carefully, and when he placed his hand on her shoulder, she completely broke down into tears.

She fell into his arms and Ron, confused by her sudden emotions but still willing to help, wrapped his arms around her instantly. She seemed to be holding onto him as if he was her lifeline, and Ron knew he would be the first to volunteer if she ever needed a lifeline.

She finally stopped crying enough to tell Ron why she was so upset. "I'm sorry, I'm just so worried for my parents. Ron, they're muggles, and I haven't told them enough about the war, so they don't know to go into hiding! These two worlds I'm trying to live in are driving me mad! I can't live in both, and I can't pick one over the other! Ron, I don't know what to do, and I always know what to do! I can't stand everything we've had to go through for the past five years!"

She burst into more tears, and Ron instantly took her into his arms once again. When she calmed down once again, Ron pulled her away from himself. "Listen to me, Hermione. I didn't realize the war was affecting you in such a horrible way, and I can't stand it when you fall apart like this.

"But I promise you, we'll going to make it through. This whole war that's coming, I'm going to make sure you, Harry and me are never split up." He hugged her to his chest, and she clutched his neck. "If one of us dies, we all die. Especially you."

Hermione pulled away from him to look at him in the eyes. Ron nodded seriously. "You can bet that I'll definitely die if you ever die." Hermione looked touched but scared too. Ron tried to fix what he had said. "That's not going to happen though. There's no way I'll ever let anyone touch you. That's a promise."

Hermione smiled that lovely smile he had fallen in love with. "Thank you, Ron. I'm glad I have so many people looking out for me in this world." She let go of his neck and sat down on one of the couches. Ron imitated her movement, but lay down on the same couch.

"I'm going to get some sleep," Ron told her. "I haven't had enough boring classes to sleep in lately." This statement did what he wanted it to, and made Hermione laugh her beautiful laugh that made him grin.

"Fine, I've got to finish some homework anyway." She got up and turned her back to him, and he instantly fell asleep.

* * *

Ron woke to the sound of many frantic voices. He felt another body next to him, and he found that Hermione had fallen asleep on his chest. He took in his surroundings. There were many people bustling throughout the common room, yelling "Death Eaters in the castle!" He frantically woke Hermione, who instantly got up off the couch and helped Ron up as well.

"Ron, what's happening?" she asked him frantically, noticing the screaming people around her.

"Death Eaters in the castle," Ron repeated grimly. He shot Hermione a look that she instantly understood. Time to fight.


	16. Protection

The castle was in full-blown madness. Spells of every color were flying everywhere, and screaming and yelling were heard from every corner. Hermione looked around at horror as she watched Death Eaters Stun, curse, hex, and occasionally kill innocent students.

Hermione tore her eyes away from the horrid scene to meet Ron's. He instantly took her hand and squeezed it. "I made you a promise. I'm not breaking it."

Hermione looked into the blue eyes she had memorized and saw longing love in them. She knew at that moment that Ron really did love her as she loved him. She had an impulse to kiss him right then and there, but decided that exact moment couldn't be the right one. Not with all the fighting around her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden shove in her right side, and someone yelling, "Watch out!"

The next thing she knew, she was on the ground, and she saw Ron standing in front of her, Stupefying a Death Eater. He had kept his promise, and her love for him grew more.

While Ron dealt with more Death Eaters coming at him, a shadow darkened over Hermione. She instantly got to her feet and saw that it was Fenrir Greyback, a Death Eater werewolf who had a reputation of attacking innocent witches.

"'Ello poppet," he said, his mouth watering. He hit Hermione with a nonverbal spell that knocked her off her feet. She tried to get up but the spell had put her in some kind of hazy mood…she felt vulnerable and weak…and she couldn't get up…she couldn't even reach for her wand, which was two feet in front of her face…

She watched Greyback advance but the more she tried to struggle to get up the more tired she felt. Greyback was directly above her…about to bite anytime…Hermione could feel his hot breath on her neck…this was it…

She suddenly heard a great _thump_ and a loud grunt as Greyback fell beside her, unconscious. She looked up to see her savior, and there was Ron, holding a long wooden plank he had gotten from a nearby hole in the wall, and had used to knock out Greyback.

Paying no attention to Greyback, Ron kneeled down by Hermione. "Hermione, are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?" His voice was filled with concern and franticness.

"I'm fine," Hermione told him. "But he hit me with a spell…I don't know what it was…but it's made me very tired…and weak…" Hermione could feel herself falling into unconsciousness on the very floor of the Great Hall.

"Hermione, please don't do this!" Ron's frantic voice was filling her head and it sounded much louder than usual. "Hermione? Hermione!"

His voice was the only thing she was hearing, she had closed her eyes and blocked out all other noises besides Ron's voice.

Her body was asleep, but her brain was fighting to stay awake. She needed to fight…she needed to tell Ron she was fine…

She felt herself being lifted from the ground, and with all the strength she could muster, she was able to open her eyes enough to see Ron carrying her and watching her frantically. He really was sweet when he knew she was in danger…

"Ron, what - ? Oh, Merlin, what's happened to her?"

Hermione was able to recognize the voice as Neville Longbottom's.

"Never you mind, Neville! I need to get her to the hospital wing!"

Hermione felt Ron almost running and she wanted to tell him she was fine…

"Ron, 'm fine," she managed to get out by barely moving her mouth. She felt him start at hearing her voice. "No you're not, Hermione. Just hang on, we're almost there…"

A few moments later, she felt her body relax as it was placed gently in a bed, no doubt in the hospital wing.

"Where's Madam Pomfrey? _Where's Pomfrey_?"

"She's not here Ron; we're in the middle of a battle!"

She recognized Neville's voice again, who had apparently followed Ron to the hospital wing.

"Are you serious? Bloody – "

There was a huge _bang,_ and Hermione felt the school shake as another explosion sounded.

"There's Death Eaters coming! Ron, it's not safe here, we have to get her out of here!"

"Alright, where _d'you _suggest we go?"

"Follow me!"

She felt herself being lifted once again into Ron's arms once again, and he followed Neville to a safer place.

"Hermione, are you still awake?"

Hermione gave a great effort to move her lips and reply. "Yes."

"Good, we're almost there! We're going to the Room of Requirement," he whispered into her hair so only she could hear. Hermione was able to nod only slightly to let Ron know she had heard him.

Soon, she felt Ron stop. He set her down on a bed, no doubt in the Room of Requirement, and she felt the mattress swallow her and she finally felt like she could give her body up to the spell. She sank into a deep sleep where she could finally escape the battle around her.

_BANG._

Hermione woke to an earth-shattering explosion. She found she was in Ron's arms; he had crawled into the bed with her and fallen asleep also. She looked around at her surroundings; the Room of Requirement looked just like a hospital wing, many beds spread out everywhere.

The spell had worn off; Hermione now felt stronger and well-rested. However, she considered falling back to sleep in Ron's arms when she thought of what the castle looked like now.

But she couldn't. She had the urge and the need to fight. She got up off the bed and gently shook Ron awake.

"Ron, c'mon, get up, we need to fight!" Ron opened his eyes, which widened when he saw Hermione awake.

"Hermione, what's happening? Are you alright?" He quickly got up and looked her in the eyes. "When did you wake up?"

"Just now – "

"Has the spell done anything else to you? D'you feel alright?"

"_Yes,_ Ron," Hermione said impatiently. "But the school happens to be in the middle of a battle, and we need to fight!"

"No way," Ron said firmly. "I'm not letting you out of my sight again."

Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "Ron, you're being ridi – "

"No!" Ron yelled, startling her. "I was ridiculous to turn my back on you! Besides – "

Ron took a step closer to her. "I already broke my promise," he said quietly.

Hermione sighed. "You didn't break your promise. You've already protected me more than anyone else has ever done."

Ron swallowed, and tried another approach. "Alright, go out and try to fight without your wand." He pulled Hermione's wand out of his pocket suddenly, and Hermione's eyes widened. "Where'd you get that?"

"You dropped it when Greyback attacked you, and now you have no choice but to stay!"

But Hermione didn't falter. She knew exactly how to play this. "Alright, take it. I'll just go fight the muggle way. With my fists." She started toward the door to the Room of Requirement, and when she saw Ron go after her, she started to run.

She threw open the door and ran out, dodging spells as she went. Before she had gone too far, however, she felt two big strong hands catch her shoulders.

"Hermione, what are you doing? It's too dangerous – "

"It's just as dangerous for you Ron!" Hermione shot back at the tall redhead who had caught her.

"Get down!" Ron shouted as a series of green streaks shot past them. He took her hand and led her behind a tapestry before any other deadly spells could come their way. "Why are you being this way? I'm only protecting you because I don't want to see you _die_!"

"I don't need protecting, Ron!" Hermione snapped back. "I can take care of myself, and you're not my parents!"

"You don't need protecting? What d'you call the little incident that just happened a few hours ago?'

"A mistake! I could've gotten out of it by myself!"

"Really?" Ron asked disbelievingly. He had finally lowered his voice to a deadly and serious tone. "He was an inch away from you Hermione. If I hadn't come, you would be a werewolf."

She couldn't argue with that logic. She finally gave up and looked down at her feet. Ron reached out and squeezed her shoulder, making her look up. "You don't have to do everything by yourself, Hermione. That's why you have me and Harry."

Hermione gave a squeak of surrender and fell into Ron's arms, who embraced her tightly back.

"You have to let me fight." Hermione said suddenly.

"I know," Ron said, surprising her. "I don't want to, but I know I can't hold you back anymore." He gave her wand back, and they both opened the tapestry to face the ongoing war.


	17. Beginning of the Adventure

_Dear Hermione,_

_It's going to be really strange not going onto the Hogwarts Express next month. I personally really don't want to do this, and you know you're the only person I would say that to. You know I'm only doing it for Harry. I've always only done it for Harry._

_I hope you're coming to the Burrow next month, Harry said he is. Dad says we're getting him to the Burrow in a different way because of You-Know-Who, but he won't tell me how. I guess he wants the Order to explain when they get here. _

_I think things are really going to change, Hermione. None of us are going back to Hogwarts, and it's going to be really weird. I have a really bad feeling that things are really going to go wrong_

_I promised you last year that I'm never going to let you die. I'm still keeping that promise no matter what happens._

_Hope you are doing well, _

_Ron_

Hermione hugged this letter to her chest after she read it. This letter didn't seem to fit Ron as much as the other letters he had written her over the years, but in a way, it _did_ fit him. There were no puns or jokes in the letter like usual, and this almost worried Hermione. But she could tell it was Ron because he told her that he would never let anyone hurt her. His voice was still in the letter, even if he wasn't constantly making jokes.

She picked up a quill and wrote back:

_Dear Ron, _

_I think you're right. It's going to be strange skipping the last year at Hogwarts. Between you and me, I don't want to do it either, but what choice do we have? That's what we get for picking Harry for our best friend, right?_

_I'll be at the Burrow on July 22__nd__, and I guess we'll have to wait to see what happens with Harry from there. _

_Everything's going to turn out fine, Ron. We have the Order, and they defeated You-Know-Who last time, so I don't think we need to worry about it until we have to face You-Know-Who himself. _

_You never broke your promise, Ron, and I don't think you ever will. I feel really safe about this because I have you and Harry, and I know both of you will die yourselves before you ever let me die. That's why you're my best friends._

_Love from, _

_Hermione_

Hermione tied the letter to Pig, who had been waiting excitingly, and opened the window to let him out.

A month later, Hermione left for the Burrow. She had put a spell on her parents (while they were asleep) to protect them and to avoid explaining what she was doing. It had nearly killed her to do this, and she didn't like thinking of if she would ever see her parents again, or if she would be able to lift the spell.

She Apparated to the Burrow after making sure her parents were still asleep. If the spell had worked right, they had no idea who she was. If they woke, they would probably wonder why a teenage girl was in their home.

It was just dawn, but she could see movement in the kitchen window and knew that Mrs. Weasley was up before anyone else, like always. She was expected to arrive at noon, but she was sure Mrs. Weasley would let her in early.

She knocked on the door, and predictably, Mrs. Weasley answered and encircled her in a huge hug.

"Hermione dear, we weren't expecting you until noon!"

"Oh, I was able to leave a bit early, is that alright?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Of course!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "You'll be rooming with Ginny of course, you can go up there now, mind you, everyone's still asleep…"

Hermione nodded, and made her way up the steep staircase.

She tiptoed into Ginny's room, and sat on the cot they had set up for her the night before. She looked over at Ginny, a glimpse of red under her covers. Hermione smiled at seeing her friend again, even though it had only been two months. She put her trunk under the cot, and took out a stack of books. She read for two hours until Ginny began to stir.

When she saw Hermione, she yelped with a start and quickly got up to hug her best friend.

"Hermione, I thought you were coming at noon!" Ginny squealed.

"I – I decided to come early!" Hermione lied. She felt like Ron and Harry needed to know about what she did to her parents before Ginny.

Ginny shrugged. "Alright," she said cheerily. "Hey, d'you want to play a few games of Exploding Snap? I can tell you right now, none of the boys are up yet, especially Ron."

Ginny's eyebrows arched at Ron's name, but Hermione ignored her. "Alright, we can play until we hear more signs of life."

Ginny and Hermione played until ten o'clock. Ginny told Hermione everyone had come to the Burrow for the wedding, Fred and George had closed their shop for a short time and come home. Bill and Fleur had gotten off work, and Charlie had come home from Romania; but unfortunately, Percy had once again ignored his family.

"He's not even coming for his own brother's wedding. Can you believe that?" Ginny said furiously. "Anyway, the Order will be here at noon. I hear Lupin and Tonks got married…"

"They got _married_?" Hermione said disbelievingly. "When?"

"Just last month. Mum said they told her it was a very small ceremony and they barely invited anyone."

After discussing Lupin and Tonks' wedding, Bill and Fleur's upcoming wedding, and then weddings in general, they both decided they should see if anyone else was up. Ginny quickly got dressed, and they both climbed the staircase higher to the other bedrooms.

Ginny banged on each door in turn and started yelling, "Rise and shine boys, Hermione's here!" Hermione giggled furiously at this, and knew that this would get Ron up.

Ginny's technique worked better than expected. Fred and George wandered into the corridor in their pajamas, both half-asleep. "Oi, Ginny, it's too early for this…"

"It's ten o' clock," Ginny said.

"Exactly our point," the twins said. Ginny rolled her eyes, and continued banging on doors.

Bill was the next to surface from his room, and started to complain to Ginny.

"Where's Phlegm?" Ginny asked Bill who was in mid-rant.

Bill scowled. "Don't call her that, Ginny. She's downstairs with Mum anyway. She was up three hours ago."

Bill's eyes floated onto Hermione. "Hello Hermione, how are you?"

"I'm fine Bill, thank you." Hermione almost had to yell her response, for Ginny was banging on one door in particular more than others.

"C'mon Ron, get up, don't you want to see Hermione?"

A sleepy voice came from behind the door. "You can't fool me, Ginny. Hermione doesn't come until noon."

Hermione giggled and couldn't resist retorting back to Ron. "Oh I don't, Ron?"

"Bloody – "

Hermione and Ginny burst out in laughter while they both listened to Ron hurriedly bustle around and get dressed in his room.

The door swung open in less than two minutes, and there was Ron. His hair stuck up in all directions and made Hermione want to laugh out loud. He looked more like a redhead Harry. Due to the summer, his freckles were much more prominent, and Hermione swore he was covered with twice as many freckles as usual.

"Hello Ron," she said. She flung her arms around his neck and felt, as usual, his own arms wrap around her waist. After they broke apart, Ginny said to Ron: "Great work Ron. Maybe I should get Hermione to wake you up every day. That had to be a world record for you."

"Shut it, Ginny," Ron scowled at his younger sister as his ears turned bright red. Hermione laughed as she led them both down to breakfast.

* * *

Two hours later, Hermione found herself at Harry's uncle and aunt's house in Surrey. The plan to get Harry to the Burrow had been explained to the Weasley family and herself, and Moody was now explaining it to Harry.

As Harry argued with Moody about the rest of them turning into himself, Ron squeezed Hermione's arm next to him. "Scared?"

Hermione gave a shaky sigh and nodded. "A bit. I just hope Harry will give in."

"He has to, we're all of age, and we can take him down if he doesn't corporate." Ron gave a twisted grin despite the situation, and Hermione smiled back.

Needless to say, Harry was forced to give in, and Ron and Hermione lined up with Fred, George, Mundungus Fletcher and Fleur to drink the Polyjuice Potion.

"D'you think we'll have any trouble?" Ron whispered worriedly into her ear. Hermione nodded, not wanting to hold back her honesty. "I think at least two of us are going to run into…him."

Ron pursed his lips. He was obviously frightened of what might happen, just like Hermione.

As Moody scolded Mundungus (who had made a wise crack) Ron continued to whisper to Hermione. "If anything happens tonight –" the line began to move as Moody filled glasses with Polyjuice Potion. "I want you to know -" Fleur, who was in front of Hermione was getting her glass of Potion – "I'm sorry for ever hurting you when fought." Hermione, still listening intently, received her glass of Polyjuice. "I'm sorry for accusing Crookshanks of eating my rat." Ron received his glass of Polyjuice. "I'm sorry for getting angry about Krum." Ron swallowed the Potion in one gulp, along with Hermione and the rest of the fake Harrys. "And I'm sorry for making you upset last year with the whole Lavender thing." Hermione stared at Ron with interest as they both turned into Harry. He had never apologized to her for anything he had ever done, and it must've taken a lot of courage to do it now.

Every one of the fake Harrys now looked exactly like Harry, but Hermione knew better. She still saw the famous Ron smirk through his Harry appearance.

Hermione was slowly turning back into herself, her hair was still black, but it was longer, and her eyes were hazel, a color between green and brown. She and Kingsley had appeared in the yard of the Burrow by Portkey. The first person she saw was Harry, and she ran to hug him.

Vaguely, she heard Kingsley ask who else was back and then Lupin's terrifying response: "Only Harry, Hagrid, George and me."

Ron wasn't back. She felt her heart drop several floors into her stomach. They had missed their Portkey. A thousand horrifying possibilities of what might have happened entered her brain…her head was spinning and she felt sick at the thoughts of anything happening to him…

Not to mention everyone else who wasn't back…Bill, Fleur, Tonks, Fred, Mr. Weasley, Moody, Mundungus…

Hermione ignored the conversation going on around her and kept her eyes on the sky above, the last piece of hope she had was trying to grow.

Somewhere around her, she heard Lupin say that George had lost an ear. "Lost an - ?" she was able to reply distantly. She pictured George lying on the Weasley couch with blood flowing from a gaping hole in the side of his head. But she couldn't take her eyes off the sky, or even go inside to make sure he was alright. She needed to be the first one to be in Ron's arms when he came back….if he ever came back…

_Don't think that_, she scolded herself. He has to come back….

And then two figures materialized out of nowhere. Hermione saw two glimpses of Weasley red hair, but it was only Mr. Weasley and Fred. Nevertheless, she was glad to see them alive.

"George has lost an ear," Hermione told them vaguely, her eyes still on the sky.

Mr. Weasley and Fred both said in unison, "What?" Hermione ignored their response and pointed inside and they quickly followed her directions. Hermione swallowed and prayed for Ron's return.

Not long after Mr. Weasley and Fred arrived , two more figures were spotted in the yard. Hermione saw the glimpse of red and knew this time, it was him. "It's them!" she yelled, almost just to reassure herself.

She ran at Ron, and threw herself into his arms. "I thought – I thought –" she couldn't even finish a sentence. She had been so upset and the relief that had washed over her was almost unbearable in such a wonderful way…

She felt Ron hug her back, mumbling words about how he was fine, but Hermione held on tight. She now knew she couldn't bear to have him away from her, especially because of the war. She was going to become attached to her two best friends and make sure they are never hurt or – she almost died thinking about it – killed.


	18. Midnight Conversation

* * *

Everyone was busy for the next few days preparing for the wedding. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all kept busy by Mrs. Weasley so they didn't have time to talk to each other. All three of them knew that Mrs. Weasley knew they weren't going to Hogwarts, and she didn't want them together to talk about what they were going to do.

However, Hermione was able to talk to Ron and Harry occasionally, especially when Mrs. Weasley told her to do something she had already done.

One night, Hermione tossed and turned in her cot next to Ginny's bed, restless. She couldn't stand what she did to her parents anymore, and she needed to tell someone. She got up and wrapped a dressing gown around her body, tiptoed out of the room (careful not to wake Ginny) and climbed the stairs to Ron's room.

When she approached the room, she saw a crack of light shining through his door, and was relieved to see that someone was awake.

She knocked on the door, and it opened almost instantly to reveal a sleepless-looking Ron. "Hey." He rubbed the side of his head and grinned, looking as if he had expected her.

"Hi. I need to talk to you. Were you asleep?" Hermione asked.

"Nah," Ron said. "I couldn't sleep. Should we wake Harry?"

Hermione looked over Ron's shoulder, and saw Harry sleeping peacefully, and it seemed like the first time she had seen him sleep without screaming out loud. "No, he needs the sleep."

"Alright, let's go down to the living room," Ron said. He closed the door behind him and led her downstairs. Hermione noticed he was wearing a Chudley Cannons shirt she had given him a few years ago for his fifteenth birthday, and a pair of maroon pajama pants. She smiled in spite of herself: it all completely fit Ron.

Ron sat down on one side of the couch and drew his legs up so he could rest his chin on his knees. He crossed his arms over his legs and looked at Hermione. "So, what's up?" he said, as if they meet down in the living room of the Burrow every night to discuss important topics.

Hermione sat down in the same way as Ron on the opposite of the couch so she faced him. "I did something - something that I'm not very proud of."

Ron scoffed. "You're Hermione – what could you have done that's that bad?"

Hermione fixed her eyes to stare at the armchair on the other side of the room, away from Ron. "You'd be surprised."

"Right, so what is it?"

Hermione kept her eyes on the armchair. "I – I put a spell on my parents – to keep them safe, mind you – and it completely rearranged their memories."

Ron looked almost scared of her. "What happened?"

"I made it so they think that their names are Monica and Wendell Wilkins and their life ambition is to move to Australia. A few days ago, I Apparated back to my house when I knew no one would miss me and checked to make sure they had moved to Australia."

Ron was gaping. "Hermione, why would you do this?"

Hermione gave an impatient sigh. "Because, Ron, I couldn't explain anything about the war to them. They don't understand, and they would just tell me I couldn't go on the hunt with you and Harry. And…well, I needed to keep them protected. Just in case Voldemort tries to hunt me down to get to Harry by interrogating them."

Ron looked absolutely staggered. "Wow. I can't believe you would do that, Hermione."

"I know and I feel terrible about it!" Hermione buried her face in her knees, feeling the tears come to her faster than she could hold them back. She raised her head to look at Ron. "They don't know I'm their daughter," she said quietly.

"What?" Ron's voice went up a few notches in volume. "They don't even know they have a daughter? My God Hermione, what the –"

"I couldn't, Ron!" Hermione shot back angrily. She had expected Ron to side with her. "You don't understand and you never will! If they knew I was their daughter, they would just come after me! The spell would have been entirely _useless_!"

At the last word, she completely broke down into sobs. Ron immediately rushed to her side of the couch and put an arm around her. She hid her face in his neck and she felt him rest his chin on her head. "Hermione, I'm sorry! I didn't know this had happened –"

"They mean everything to me," Hermione interrupted. "They're my only family and I couldn't stand it if I lost them. And…I'm not even sure if I can lift the spell. If I can't, they'll still be safe and happy, but I just hope I _can_ lift it."

Ron squeezed her tighter at this. "Hermione, you never fail at _anything_. You'll be able to lift the spell, I promise."

Another promise. Hermione hoped for Ron's sake that he could keep the promises he was making.

"Anyway," Ron said. "As far as family goes, you're parents aren't your only one. You'll always have a place here, Hermione. I – we all care about you in my family."

Hermione gave him a watery smile. "Thank you, Ron. That means a lot." She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him back. "I don't want to back upstairs. That cot is really uncomfortable."

"Me neither," Ron admitted. "Harry snores too much."

"_Harry_?" Hermione said disbelievingly. "Are you sure that's not _you_?"

Ron laughed, which made Hermione smile. "Let's stay down here, then."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, sure that her face was turning red. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, why not?"

Hermione shrugged. Ron lay down, and Hermione lay down in his arms, knowing that she was reading his mind. "Good night," she said, glad that she was finally in his arms.

"'Night."

Hermione felt herself fall asleep with a smile on her face. She could finally sleep peacefully.

* * *

She heard snickers. She opened her eyes to find Harry, Ginny and the twins above her, obviously laughing at her and Ron sleeping on the couch.

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed in mock horror. "I had no idea you would ever have the nerve!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and ignored him. She withdrew Ron's arms from around her waist and got up, which stirred Ron.

"I believe Miss Granger was entranced by our dear brother," Fred said.

"And then was forced to do whatever he said, thus leading to this," George finished, indicating what they had found.

Ron woke, and was also teased by his siblings and Harry, but Hermione knew it was just a matter of time before she could laugh with them about their jokes about her and Ron.


	19. Dancing and Arguments

He had asked her to dance, and she had accepted. It seemed like everything was falling into place for him at his brother's wedding, unlike the Yule Ball.

She gave him her hand, and he led her out to the dance floor. She put her arms around his neck right away. Evidently, standing in the middle of the dance floor awkwardly was not how she wanted to spend time with him. Ron was glad she had made the first move.

They were able to catch the feel of the music and began to sway like the rest of the couples. Finally, Hermione spoke up. "There are better ways to get me away from Viktor, by the way."

Ron heard the smile in her voice, even though she didn't show it. He felt his ears burning. _She knew_.

"Really? Name one then."

Hermione pretended to be thinking hard. "Mmm…no, I think you'll have to find out one for yourself."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "Really? I won't push the subject then."

"You won't, will you? That's a surprise." Hermione gave him that smile that told him it was only for him. She looked distracted however, like she was talking to him, but her mind was completely somewhere else.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" he asked, tightening his grip on her waist so she looked him in the eyes.

"Nothing, I'm fine."

Ron gave her a knowing look. "Hermione, you can't possibly tell _me_ there's nothing wrong when I've known you for six years and I know exactly when you're lying. Now what's really wrong?"

Hermione looked down at their feet. "I can't believe what we're getting into. It didn't hit me until a few days ago when we ran into all those Death Eaters, but… we could all be killed."

Ron was silent for a few moments. He swallowed and pulled her closer, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Hermione, we've been risking our lives since we were eleven. I would think you would be used to it by now."

Hermione's eyes shot up to meet his and it was as if lightning flashed through them. Wrong way to go. "Ron, that's not funny! I can't believe you're not worried about what could happen! I'm terrified of what we're getting into, because Voldemort could actually win! Despite all the people we have on our side, he has just as many Death Eaters, and…and…"

Tears were swimming in her eyes, and she had dropped her arms from his neck. They stood in the middle of the dance floor, Ron's mouth gaping at her sudden outburst, and Hermione staring him down like an angry enemy. Finally, Hermione turned to leave but before she could, Ron caught her hand and refused to let go.

"Please don't go, Hermione," he said. "I'm sorry, alright? I just was trying to make you feel better. I know what were getting into and I'm…I'm scared too. But we have to do it for Harry, don't we?"

Hermione spun her head back around to face him, angry tears threatening to fall. After staring at him for enough amount of time to make him uncomfortable, she finally sighed, and Ron felt her whole body go limp as she fell into him. She wrapped her arms around him as he hugged her tightly to his chest. "Everything's going to turn out fine, Hermione." Ron whispered into her hair. "I made you a promise."

This seemed to stir a realization in Hermione's mind; she lifted her head off his chest and looked into his eyes, her face slightly tearstained. "I know you did. But it's not about me anymore. I need you to promise me something else now." She grabbed one of his hands and put her other hand on his shoulder so they were in a dancing position again. "I need you to promise that you won't let _yourself_ get killed, even if that means that my own life is at risk."

Ron shook his head right away. "Hermione, I can't promise you that –"

"Why?" she interrupted. She looked angry again, but her eyes were locked on his, and she made no move to run away again.

Ron looked down. "Because…your life will always come before mine in my head."

Hermione looked as if she was trying to act angry, but she was clearly touched. She licked her lips and squeezed his hand. "You're definitely a Gryffindor, Ron. And you may not know it or even believe it, but you're just as brave as Harry." She looked seriously into his eyes. "I know you get judged by others because you're Harry's best friend, and I know you don't always feel self-confident because of Harry, but I want you to know that I see so much more in you than other people."

Hermione swallowed, and Ron was stunned. He never thought than he would ever meet someone who could see through to him so easily. Hermione went on, ignoring his amazed look. "You drive me mad and half the time I'd like nothing more than to throw something heavy at you, but the other half, you're brave and sweet and in my eyes, you're just as much of a hero as Harry. And that's one of the reasons you're my best friend. Because you're willing to put your life before anyone else's."

Hermione smiled at him, and Ron couldn't help but to grin back. He had never met anyone quite like Hermione Granger. He had always been so overshadowed by his brothers and Harry, and even Hermione, but he had never heard anyone basically say that he was more special than Harry Potter.

"You're amazing, Hermione," he told her. "Anyway, you think Harry would like hearing what you just said?"

Hermione blushed. "I think he would agree. You're not a failure Ron, and I know sometimes you think you are."

They were silent for a few moments, Ron momentarily stunned.

"Well," Ron said. "I still can't make that promise to you, Hermione."

Hermione looked exasperated. "_Please_, Ron –"

"I can't – just let me say something, alright? I can't put myself first, it's just who I am – and you're -" Ron gave a frustrated sigh, angry that he couldn't get out what he wanted to say to her. "I'm not strong enough, and I'm not anything you just said – and I can't lose you!" Ron sighed and looked at Hermione, who looked confused. "I'm not strong enough to be able to lose you."

Hermione looked like she understood a little better. She took a hand off his shoulder and cupped his face into it to make him face her. "Ron, if you know me enough, you know that I could never handle it if I lost _you_."

Ron swallowed, knowing that in some part of his brain, he knew this was true. He put a hand on her wrist, which was still on his face.

"But I can take care of myself. I just want you to have the longest life you can."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "I'm not making the promise," he said stubbornly. "But I can make you another one."

"What?"

Ron took a breath. "I'll promise you that I'll try as hard as possible to avoid dying or getting hurt."

Hermione squeezed his hand. She didn't look very happy, but she agreed. "Alright. I know you'll just being yourself. I know that if you weren't trying to protect me, you wouldn't be Ron."

Ron grinned and squeezed her hand back. "Thanks for sparing me more argument."

Hermione smiled back just as a new song started, a much more upbeat song than the last three songs. "C'mon," Ron said. "Let's have some fun. It'll probably be the last time we do for a while."

Hermione agreed, and they both started dancing faster than before. Ron took her hand and twirled her a few times, just as he had watched at the Yule Ball a few years ago. Hermione started laughing, which made him grin.

After five more songs, Ron told Hermione to find Harry and he would find some butterbeers. As they parted, Ron decided he had had more fun in that half hour with Hermione than he had had in six years.


	20. Worries from Hermione

Harry had mumbled something about the bathroom and quickly left the room, leaving Ron and Hermione alone. Hermione pursed her lips and began to extract sleeping bags from her small beaded bag. They both knew he was escaping because his scar was giving him excruciating pain.

"I wish he had practiced Occlumency more," she said. "Voldemort can already get into his head; what more can he do to Harry?"

"Hermione, you need to give him a break," Ron said sternly. "He's trying the best he can, and he's already been through so much. He doesn't need you nagging on him."

"I'm not _nagging_, Ron. I'm simply saying that –"

"Just drop it, alright?" Ron interrupted. When Hermione gave him a deadly look, he added, "Please? We've all had a long day, and I don't want to talk about it."

Hermione looked as if she would start in again, but after a few moments, she simply nodded and continued setting sleeping bags up. Ron watched her and suddenly thought of something rather important. "You didn't happen to…er…pack any other clothes, did you?"

As if reading his mind, Hermione pulled out his maroon pajamas from the bag. "I have everything," she said, throwing them at him. "We could live out of this bag if we needed to."

"Well, that's what we're going to do, isn't it?" Ron asked, grinning.

"I hope not," Hermione said worriedly. Ron's grin had for the first time, failed to make her smile. "I wish I knew this Horcrux hunt isn't going to take long, but I think we all know it's going to take a while."

Hermione walked over to sit next to Ron on the sofa. "Do you think he's alright? He's been in there for a while."

"He's fine, Hermione," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "If he doesn't come out in an hour, we can break the door down."

Hermione's lips twitched and she broke out in a smile, despite her efforts to stay serious. Ron grinned back, knowing that his joke to make her smile had worked. However, her smile faded away fast. "I can't believe we got out of that."

"What?"

"The attack at the wedding! And those Death Eaters disguised as workmen! I can't believe they attacked the _wedding_…"

"Things happen, Hermione. They were bound to attack sometime. Do you really expect we would've been able to avoid them until we killed Voldemort?"

"No," Hermione admitted. "But it just happened so suddenly. I wasn't prepared or anything! And you! I don't want you ever leaving my sight again! I was so afraid you had been attacked and were lying on the ground somewhere! Ron, you can be so –"

"Hermione," Ron had approached her and grabbed her firmly by the shoulders. "_Please_ shut up. I know I can be stupid and irresponsible and whatever else you were going to say, but I'm here now, alright? That's all that matters."

Hermione sighed and wrapped her arms around Ron to fall into him. He gave into her, and stroked her hair as she lightly sobbed into his chest. "It was just too close," her muffled voice was carried to his ear, and he understood how upset she was. He bent his head to talk into her ear. "I know. But we're all here now and we know the family's alright too."

"But can we keep this up? I don't think we'll all be able to pull off what we did tonight again."

Ron whispered back, knowing that Hermione needed to be told that everything would turn out alright. "I think we can. We just all need to look out for each other, and everything will be fine."

Hermione withdrew from the embrace, much to Ron's disappointment, and began to dig through her beaded bag again.

"What are you looking for _now_?" Ron asked, suddenly annoyed at Hermione.

"Harry's toothbrush. I need some sort of excuse to see if he's alright, don't I, or he'll just yell at me again, won't he?"

Ron couldn't argue with this and reluctantly let her go check on Harry.

He decided to make up the sleeping bags that were sprawled on the floor. He decided to put the cushions from the sofa under Hermione's sleeping bag, so she wasn't so close to the hard ground. As he did this, his thoughts began to completely turn to Hermione.

He hadn't expected her to constantly be at his side, but after the incident at the wedding, he felt the same way Hermione had said about him: he never wanted her out of his sight. He was sure now that Hermione felt the same way about him as he did about her. All the signs were there: she blushed when he was staring at her for a moment too long. She didn't do this to Harry. She turned to him for comfort when she needed it, she had told him things no one else knew (not even Ginny), and she had danced with him, when she could've plainly denied and danced with Viktor Krum instead.

Hermione reentered the room, interrupting Ron's thoughts, and he blushed at his own knowledge that he had been thinking of her. "He's alright, isn't he?"

Hermione nodded, and Ron grinned. "I told you."

Hermione shook her head. "Whatever, Ron. Anyway, he'll be out in a few minutes." She began to pick out clips that had been holding her hair in place to pass the time. Ron found himself staring at her and realizing how much he had missed her bushy hair in the few hours she had had it up. She was beautiful when it was straight and out of her face, but her natural hair always seemed more Hermione, and that was one of the reasons Ron had fallen for her.

Hermione seemed to notice the bed Ron had made for her. "Is that yours?"

Ron shook himself out of his reverie. "Er…no. That's for you."

Right away, Hermione being Hermione, she began to argue at once. "Oh, Ron, you didn't need to do that for me –"

"I know," Ron said suddenly. "I wanted to."

"Ron, you went to so much trouble, don't you think - ?"

"Hermione," Ron said once again. "It's no trouble. Please take it? I didn't do it for me, I did it for you."

Hermione looked as if she would argue, but she only smiled and nodded. "Fine."

"Bravo." A third voice made the two jump. They both whirled around with wands out to see Harry standing in the doorway and smirking. "Bathroom's free."

Hermione hurried past Harry with her things, looking flustered as he smirked at her. Harry entered the room and seeing the Ron had his pajamas, began to dig through Hermione's bag to find his. They both took the advantage of Hermione in the bathroom to change into their pajamas. As Harry began to crawl into the bed Ron had made for Hermione (without really thinking about who it was for) Ron shouted, "Oi mate, that's for Hermione!"

Harry, confused about what Ron meant, scowled. "What?"

"The bed. I…made it for Hermione." Ron blushed at the fact that he had to admit this to Harry. But Harry simply smirked and climbed out of the makeshift bed. He seemed to know better than to push the subject.

Hermione came out of the bathroom moments later and climbed into the makeshift bed. Ron had turned off the lights with the Deluminator, and Harry was already asleep, his back turned from Ron and Hermione's sleeping bags.

Hermione turned to face Ron, and he saw her brown eyes almost glowing in the sliver of moonlight that came in from the window. Ron could tell by the way she was positioned that she was uneasy.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked quietly, making sure not to wake Harry.

"I don't know…" Hermione said, stalling. "Everything, I suppose. The fact that we're in this creepy house hiding from the world. I hate being here."

Ron understood why she didn't like the house. Ever since Hermione had seen the house-elf heads lined up on the wall upstairs two years ago, she had blamed the horrid personalities of Sirius' family on the house. He reached out and took her hand and squeezed it. "You're with me and Harry. Nothing's going to happen to you. I made you a promise."

He felt Hermione shiver delightfully at the mention of his promise. He made to let go of her hand, but she kept her grip firm. "Don't let go. Please?"

He smiled at her faintly. "'Course."

* * *

Ron woke to a stream of sunlight hitting him in the face. He groaned as rolled over to see Hermione sleeping peacefully beside him. In his mind, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He smiled at her before getting up to find her beaded bag. He found it in the corner of the room, and began to grope in it to find some fresh clothes. Ron glanced at the wall at one point and saw close to the last things on earth he wanted to see.

_Spiders._ In his opinion, massive spiders. They were crawling down from a hole in the ceiling. Ron slowly started to back away, and called, "Hermione." When she didn't respond, he went from calm to full blown panic attack. "HERMIONE!"

Hermione woke startled, flew for her wand and fought to get out of the sleeping bag. "What? What is it, Ron?"

Ron pointed to the hole in the wall, where the spiders were crawling around freely. Hermione dropped her wand and sighed exasperatedly. "Honestly, Ron, I thought Death Eaters were attacking again –"

"Get rid of them, Hermione, I don't want to see them!" Ron turned his back on the spiders.

"Oh, but look Ron, they're only spiders." To his horror, Hermione walked over to the wall and let one of the spiders crawl on her hand. She brought the spider over to Ron, who quickly jumped away from her. "Hermione, I'm not joking, get it away!"

"Alright, alright, I was only playing with you." Hermione performed a spell that got rid of the spiders, but Ron had his mind set on avoiding them, he didn't hear what the spell was.

"Honestly, Ron, you would think after a few years of fighting the Dark Arts, your worst fear would change – where's Harry?"

Ron spun around and found that Harry's sleeping bag was empty. "I don't know."

"You don't _know_?" Hermione suddenly was in a full panic attack. "Alright, you check downstairs, and I'll check upstairs. I just hope –"

"Don't say it," Ron cut sharply across her. He stepped over the sleeping bags to stand in front of her, and took a firm grip on her shoulders. "We'll find him."


	21. Splinched

As Harry examined the locket, Hermione turned her attention back to Ron, who looked deathly pale again. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, Hermione," Ron said, trying to sound annoyed but a smirk was playing at his lips.

"You promised not to get hurt," Hermione said quietly.

"_You're_ the one who Splinched me!" Ron said indignantly.

"Well, I guess you don't need me, then!" Hermione made to get up and walk away, but Ron caught her arm. "Hermione, I didn't mean it that way, you know I didn't! Please…just stay, alright?"

Hermione tried to look indignant, but the look that Ron gave her melted her insides. "Fine. But only because I know you need medical attention."

She sat back down next to his bunk, and noticed he was much too pale. "Ron, you're sweating." He frowned and put a hand to his forehead. "Oh. So I am."

But Hermione was already groping in the beaded bag again. She found the dry cloth she was looking for, and soaked it with her wand. She then placed it on Ron's forehead to bring some color back into his face. "I believe you could be a good Healer, Miss Granger," Ron teased. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. This is as major as it gets. I could never fix you if you were in any critical condition."

Ron looked like he didn't believe her, but he didn't argue. He looked over at Harry. "What's he thinking about, d'you reckon?"

"I think his scar is hurting again," Hermione whispered. "I think that locket is really evil. I can tell…it's just an overpowering feeling…"

"I think he'll be alright. We can all handle the locket," Ron said. Hermione's eyes ran over his face; critically looking over his state. "How's your arm?"

"Its fine…loads better…"

Hermione, however, didn't pay him any attention once again. She thrust her arm in the bag again and pulled out a sling. "It still looks painful. I just want this on you…It'll make me feel better about it…" she tied the sling round his neck, and he looped his arm through it.

"I feel like I'm in the hospital wing," Ron said cheekily. Hermione hardly noticed what he said, however. She was watching the color come back into Ron's face. "You look better."

Ron grinned. "I feel better."

Hermione smiled back. "Good."

* * *

Hours later, Harry and Ron had both fallen asleep, but Hermione was awake reading the book Dumbledore had left her. She kept looking worriedly over at Ron, who was getting paler by the minute. She finally got up and wet another cloth. She walked over by Ron and started wiping his face with it. He stayed asleep, to her relief, and she stayed by his side for a half an hour. She felt extremely guilty about Splinching him.

"Oh, Ron," she sighed. "You made me a promise, but I had to go and break it for you."

She left the cloth on his forehead, and finally went to bed.


	22. Regrets

Harry was on watch outside the tent. Hermione was reading the children's book she had gotten from Dumbledore again. Ron was moodily lying on his bunk, staring at the ceiling of the tent. He would knowingly occasionally glance over at Hermione, who was on her own bunk three feet away.

Ron sighed. He was bored, and slightly annoyed. They hadn't found any of the remaining Horcruxes yet, and they had yet to find something to destroy them with as well. He also felt like a great weight had been added onto his shoulders, due to the evil locket round his neck.

Ron sighed again and struggled to get up off his bunk, due to the sling he was still in. He walked over to Hermione and sat next to her on her bunk. She looked up and smiled at seeing him. "Hey. What's up?"

Ron shrugged. "Come with me." He grabbed her arm and led her to the very back of the small tent where a shabby couch sat. He pulled Hermione onto it and sat down next to her. "Ron, what - ?"

"D'you think we're getting anywhere with this Horcrux hunt?" Ron asked urgently.

"What?" Hermione looked taken aback. "Of course I do –"

"Hermione," Ron said reproachfully. "Don't lie to me." Hermione stared at him as if she was considering trying to lie again, then sighed as a sign of surrender. "I guess I thought we would be a little farther by now then we are."

"Exactly," Ron said, a little too loudly. He lowered his voice and started again. "He doesn't know what he's doing, Hermione. He's stalling."

Hermione refused to believe it. "Don't be ridiculous, he must have some idea –"

"Hermione, he doesn't," Ron said stubbornly. "That's why I was thinking – never mind. You'll never go for it."

"What?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Well," Ron stalled. "I was thinking that maybe…we could tell Harry…that we quit."

Hermione looked as if she didn't understand, then her eyes widened in realization. "Ron, have you gone mad? We couldn't possibly –"

"No, but Hermione, think about it!" Ron urged. "We could go back to school! Isn't that what you're always on about? Finishing school? We're both overage, we could do whatever we wanted and forget this whole thing!"

"Are you suggesting," Hermione started, carefully keeping her voice low, "that we _ditch_ Harry, and go on with our lives as if Voldemort doesn't exist and we never met Harry?" Her voice was dangerously low, and Ron was afraid she would burst at any time.

"No, not _ditch_ him!" Ron exclaimed, surprised she had taken it this way. "I just think we should leave him alone for a while. He wanted to go on this hunt by himself anyway, didn't he? And if we go back to school –"

"I am _not_ leaving," Hermione stated firmly. "And neither are you, Ron. In case you forgotten or missed something, Harry wouldn't still be alive if it wasn't for us and Dumbledore."

"But –"

"And furthermore," Hermione continued, "According to the _Daily Prophet_, Hogwarts has completely changed. All the professors are Death Eaters, and I suspect it's not as fun to be there anymore."

"Fine," Ron practically spat. "I knew you were going to be this way anyway." He made to walk away, but a smaller hand caught his arm and held him back.

Hermione turned him around to face her. "Are you wearing the locket?"

"No," Ron lied right away.

Hermione dug under the collar of his shirt and found the gold chain that held the locket. "You are. _That's_ why you're acting this way." She looped the chain over Ron's head and took it off. "Better?"

Ron didn't want to admit it, but as soon as she had lifted the chain from around his neck, he suddenly had much more patience for Harry and the hunt and he felt less moody about everything. "S'pose."

"Good. Now you're not allowed to wear this for at least a week."

Ron's mouth fell open. "Why me?"

"Because it affects you worst of all. And," Hermione stepped closer to him so Harry didn't hear. "I don't want you talking like that again. We said we'd go with Harry, and friends always stay. Especially best friends." She raised her eyebrows at Ron as if to say he was being a bad best mate. She slipped the locket's chain around her neck and walked to her bunk. Ron followed her.

"Hey, look," he said, sitting on her bed. "I'm sorry. It's that bloody locket. It just was driving me mad."

Hermione smiled. "It's alright. Anyway, I think you should take over Harry's watch, he's falling asleep out there."

Ron grinned. "So you'll be on watch with me then, right?"

Hermione got up and smiled again. "Absolutely."


	23. Broken Promises

Hermione had been avoiding Ron for the last few weeks since he had returned after he had left. She had been too furious to face him, and he had been clever enough to avoid her too, for fear she would explode at him at any moment, which she might had if he had come anywhere near her.

After three weeks of holding a grudge, Hermione was beginning to lose patience on the Horcrux hunt, especially since she was so angry with Ron for leaving them. One night, she decided she needed to get away from the both of them, Ron with his constant jumpiness around her and his constant tapping with his wand on his stupid wireless; and Harry, who was avoiding them both and refused to discuss the hunt. Harry was on watch, so Hermione told him she was going for a walk. Harry nodded feebly, almost absently.

Hermione started walking faster, darting through the trees to get farther from the tent and the nagging voice in her head, urging her to forgive Ron…

The tent was almost out of sight when she heard another pair of footsteps behind her. She began to run, but she had a good idea on who it was behind her…she didn't look behind her for fear she was right…

She came to a clearing in the forest, and before she could go further, a pair of familiar hands grabbed her and held her from going on. "Hermione, you know it's me, will you just stop for a _minute_?"

Hermione's eyes shot at Ron and he recoiled as she shot bullets through her eyes. "Stop so you can do what, Ron? So you can apologize again? So you can apologize and assume everything will be fine, and I'll fall into your arms?"

"My god, will you just let me _say_ something?" Ron asked exasperatedly. "I swear, just hear me out, and then you can scream at me as much as you want." Despite her mood, Hermione shut her mouth and scowled at Ron.

"Hermione, I know you're furious with me because I was the stupidest prat on earth again, but I'm begging you to forgive me." At this, Ron got down on his knees and looked up at her, and Hermione had to fight down an urge to laugh cruelly at his efforts.

"Look, I'm on my knees, alright? If you want something in return for giving me forgiveness, just ask it. I'll do anything, you know I will. I'm sorry for everything, and I _really_ regret walking out on you." Ron was trying to meet her eyes, but Hermione was looking away furiously, fighting down her anger.

"I'm asking you to forgive me, _again_," Ron added. "I know there's only a very small chance you will, but I just needed to try." Ron sighed, and Hermione knew it had taken a huge amount of effort for him to say what he did. She raised her eyebrows at him and said, "Are you done?"

Ron got up off the ground and towered over her like always. "Yeah."

"Right, now it's _my_ turn," Hermione said through clenched teeth. She heard thunder rumbling overhead and it started to lightly rain. "Do you not _realize _what you did? What you did to _me_? You _left,_ Ron, after promising to both Harry and I that we were all in this together! And…you…you broke your promises!" She pushed Ron at the word "promises", though it barely affected him. He simply gaped at her. Hermione ignored him.

"You made a promise almost a year ago that you would keep us all together, and then you made a promise to me at the wedding that you would always be there to make sure nothing happened to me! And then you _left_, and Harry and I almost _died_!" She was in tears now, but Ron didn't dare approach her. It started to rain harder, and lightning flashed across the sky.

Hermione sighed. "I don't care as much that you weren't here for me. I care more that you broke your promises." She finally faced him, and saw a look of horror on his face. "Because those promises were the highest level of trust I had for you. And you betrayed me."

Even through the pouring rain, Hermione saw traces of tears in Ron's eyes. Tears were pouring down her own face and mingling with the rain. They were both silent before Ron spoke again, so quietly Hermione had to struggle to listen.

"You told _me _almost a year ago that you would always forgive me," Ron said. Hermione's eyes widened at the realization to her own promise. _Oh no._

"You said no matter what I did, that you would always forgive me. I thought about that and if you're this upset about my leaving, then I can't imagine how you would feel if you could never forgive me." Ron stood there, looking quite pitiful, rain dripping from every inch of his body.

Hermione, however, was so angry that he had realized her broken promise that she saw red. "You don't DESERVE my forgiveness, Ron!" she shouted. "You might as well have stabbed me in the heart for what you did to me! Do you even know what you put me through?"

By now, Ron was happy to yell back. "How can I know what goes through your head, Hermione? You're a complete mystery to me, and it doesn't seem like I can ever make you happy!"

The storm raged on around them, but Ron and Hermione were quite oblivious to the fact that they were both soaked and arguing in the middle of a forest. Ignoring Ron's last comment, Hermione ranted on. "I couldn't eat or sleep for _days_, I missed you so much! I didn't talk to Harry for a week and…and I just can't believe you most of the time, Ron!"

Hermione was breathing heavily, but she finally felt like she didn't want to argue anymore.

"Look, Hermione, I'm sorry!" Ron yelled over the storm, still eager to shout. "I'm sorry for walking out on you and Harry, I'm sorry I made you cry, I'm sorry I'm probably the worst friend you've ever had!" He stood there, looking quite pitiful, watching Hermione carefully.

Hermione was determined not to show how she really felt about his words. "Why did you leave?" she asked quietly.

"It was the locket," Ron responded immediately. He too seemed like he was out of steam and urges to fight. "It made me see things that almost killed me emotionally…you could never understand; the locket doesn't affect you as bad as it did to me.

"And the day I left, everything that was building inside me because of the locket just…came out of me at you and Harry, I guess. I'm sorry for everything, and I hope you forgive me eventually."

He started to leave, and the one forgiving feeling that Hermione had been fighting down for the past few weeks finally overpowered her anger. She realized she would be just as miserable as before if she didn't forgive him.

"Ron," she called. He turned and looked at her expectantly. She approached him carefully, and stood in front of him, staring intensely into his eyes, the storm raging around them.

"I'm not happy about it, but…I suppose…I do forgive you." A grin Hermione could never explain broke out on Ron's face. "It's pointless to keep fighting like this, especially if I'll forgive you in the end anyway," Hermione said. "But if you do something like this again, I _won't _forgive you, promise or not."

She smiled at him, despite her efforts to stay indignant. "Let's go back."

They started back to the tent, Hermione leading and Ron following carefully, conscientious not to do anything that would set Hermione off. The only sounds were their trainers squishing in the mud, the pounding rain around them, and the howling wind whistling through the trees.

When they could finally see the tent, a dark shadow in the blurry, wet forest, Hermione couldn't take it anymore. Her relief that he was back completely took over her body. She turned around, causing Ron to flinch. "What? What's wrong?"

Before he could say much more, she flew into his arms, finally feeling like she happy for the first time in months. He embraced her harder than ever before, and she held onto him as if she would fall into a black hole if she let go. She felt a tear fall down her face.

They were finally home.


	24. Emotions

Ron fell to his knees due to Hermione's weight as he Apparated in front of Shell Cottage. The only instinct he had was to get Hermione help…he needed to know she was going to be alright…

"HELP! BILL!" Ron shouted at the top of his lungs, despite the fact that he knew that Bill and Fleur couldn't hear him. He couldn't bare to look at Hermione, her limp form was in his arms and she was so deathly pale that she could've died without him knowing…

_Don't think that, _his brain reminded him. She must be alive…she had to be…

Ron was able to make it to the door of Bill and Fleur's, and let go of Hermione's legs to knock frantically on the door. Bill answered right away, his eyes widening at the sight of Hermione. "Ron, what - ?"

"I can't explain!" Ron shouted. "She needs help, and you're the first person I thought of! Please, I need someone to tell me she's going to be alright!" Ron knew he sounded desperate, and at this point, he was. The tears that were swimming in his eyes were threatening to fall, but Ron refused them.

"Alright, I'm sure Fleur can figure her out, but you need to calm down, Ron." Bill led Ron upstairs to a small bedroom with a view of the sea. Ron placed Hermione's limp form on the bed, and she stirred, but did not wake. He gripped her hand, mostly to make himself feel better. Fleur came bustling in shortly after and started poking and prodding Hermione. After a few moments, Ron became impatient and almost yelled at Fleur, "Is she going to be alright?"

Fleur raised her eyebrows at his tone and responded. "She's going to be fine. I'm going to clean up ze injuries, and when she wakes, I'll ze what else she needs."

Ron nodded solemnly and silently thanked her. He watched as Fleur cleaned up the injuries, especially the cut made by Bellatrix's knife on her neck, and waited until Fleur left to kneel back down by her side.

"I can't believe how close that was, Hermione," he said to the unconscious form. "I felt so useless down in that cellar. I broke my promise again, and I'm sorry." He put his face down on the bed by their entwined hands and finally allowed himself to sob.

After a few moments, he felt Hermione's body stir under him. Slowly, he looked up to see Hermione opening her eyes. He had never seen her look more defeated.

"Hermione?" he said breathlessly. "How are you feeling?" He felt her hand tighten around his and he moved his so it was more intertwined with hers.

She ran a hand through her unruly hair and mumbled, "Ron..."

Ron thought there was nothing better in the world at that moment than hearing her voice. "What is it, Hermione? I'm right here, what hurts?"

Hermione made to sit up, and blinked rapidly, seemingly seeing stars. She collapsed back onto the pillows and muttered, "My head."

"Your head? Right, I'm going to get Fleur –" Ron stood up and made to leave when Hermione's hand caught his. He whipped back around with his eyes widened, worried to franticness. "What's wrong? What d'you need, Hermione?" But he already recognized the expression on her face much too well. It was the same face he had seen on Hermione much too many times. Without warning, she burst into tears.

"Oh, Hermione." Ron gathered her in his arms and she cried freely. Once she had stopped, Ron stayed kneeled at her bedside and kept his hand linked with hers.

"It was horrible, Ron, I thought I was going to die. I…" Hermione trailed off and tears started to swim in her eyes again, so Ron squeezed her again to his chest and said, "Don't talk about it. That's not helping."

There was silence as Ron stared at Hermione with a new fascination. She looked exhausted. Her brown eyes had purple shadows under them, and her face was deathly pale. Her expression was empty, almost dead. The only live part of her face was in her eyes. Ron's heart immediately went out for her. She had been so _close_ to death and him so far from stopping it…

Hermione caught him staring at her. "Ron, m' fine, I just...need to rest." Her eyelids were slowly sliding shut.

Ron squeezed her hand tighter. "That was much too close."

Hermione's eyes flew open. "I can't believe I'm alive."

"I was about to die myself," Ron said. "I heard you screaming and I couldn't take it. I was willing to do anything to get to you."

Ron stood up and started pacing in front of Hermione's bed. "I felt so _useless_ in that cellar!" Ron said stressfully. "You could never imagine the pain I was going through."

"Bet I could," Hermione muttered. Her expression was still dead-looking, but Ron still could see the slight spark in her eyes that he loved.

Ron continued. "But I'm sorry I broke my promise…again."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione said furiously, suddenly much more alive than before. She threw back the covers and got up to face Ron, still in the dirty clothes she had been tortured in. "You _never_ broke your promise tonight! You were there with me for every second you could be, and if you had refused to go down to that cellar, you would've been killed!"

"Then I should've chosen that!" Ron yelled. "If I really wanted to protect you, I should've been taken instead of letting them torture you!"

"If they had killed you, they would've tortured me afterward anyway!" Hermione said. "And is that the kind of pain you want to put me through? D'you want me mourn over this one night for the rest of my life because you died on it?"

Hermione drew in a rather large breath and looked as if she couldn't breath for a moment. Ron's eyes widened at the look on her face before she fainted on the spot, Ron catching her before she hit the floor. He returned her to the bed, knowing that this sudden incident was due to overexcitement after the Cruciatus Curse.

When Hermione woke, Ron grabbed her hand again. "Hermione, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to get you so worked up, but what happened to you really got me upset."

She looked at him and Ron saw real love in her eyes. Suddenly, they filled with tears and she was crying again, hiding her face in her hands. Ron thought about what she had said before fainting and took one of her hands. "Hermione, I need you to listen to me."

Hermione recognized the seriousness in his voice and looked into his face. "I need you to know that no matter what happens, I never _want_ to hurt you when we argue. I fight with you because it's what we do, I suppose. But I'll never hurt you on purpose. I hate to see you cry, and every time I do, I want to throw myself into the nearest black hole."

Hermione sniffed. She started to sit up for the first time that night, and she seemed to see stars. "Ergh, my head." Ron immediately decided to go get Fleur.

"I'm going to get Fleur," he told her. He started out the door when he heard her calling him. "Ron."

He turned in the doorway where her voice had stopped him and turned around to face her. "Thank you. For saving my life tonight." She smiled at him. He shrugged modestly. "You know I always will." With that, Ron escaped the room to fetch Fleur, with something like a smirk on his face.


	25. Useless

Harry had just left with Luna to the Ravenclaw Tower, in hopes in finding the Lost Diadem. Ron and Hermione watched him leave before Hermione turned to Ron. "Even if he does find the diadem, we won't be able to destroy it," she said bitterly.

Ron knew she was thinking of Griphook, the goblin who had betrayed them. "Yeah, it's not like there's a Horcrux-destroyer just lying around –" he stopped abruptly and his eyes widened as the realization came to him.

Hermione frowned and seemed unsure about what had hit him. "Ron, what –"

Before she could finish, he grabbed her arm and told his brothers to tell Harry that they went to the bathroom. Hermione still looked confused. "The _bathroom_? Ron, what are you on about?"

He ignored her. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought about it before…it seemed so obvious now…

He led her to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, ignoring her questions the entire way. Myrtle was no where to be seen. _Thank Merlin,_ Ron thought.

The sinks in the bathroom closed off the slide that led to the Chamber of Secrets, as always. _Now what?_

He could hear Hermione still asking him what was happening. "Ron, can you _please_ tell me what we're doing?"

"We're going in the Chamber to get some basilisk fangs!" Ron said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Something to destroy Horcruxes!"

Hermione's eyes widened as she realized what Ron was talking about. "Ron, that's brilliant! Why didn't I get it before?"

"Yeah, it's great and everything, but we have a problem," Ron stated. "You need to speak Parseltongue to get through. Now what do we do?"

Hermione's face fell. "Well, maybe we can go and try to find Harry –"

"I'm going to try it." If Ron hadn't felt his lips moving, he wouldn't have believed he had said it. He knew it was useless, but he needed to try, for Harry and Hermione.

"What?" Hermione didn't seem to believe he could do it either. "Ron, that's absurd, you're not a Parseltongue!"

"I know that, thanks," Ron said through clenched teeth. Hermione realized she wasn't helping at all, and instantly backed off to avoid an unnecessary argument.

After concentrating for a few minutes, Ron looked up at Hermione, who had been waiting with anticipation. "Alright, I'm going to try it."

Hermione nodded solemnly. Ron turned back to the sinks. He closed his eyes and said, "Open."

He opened his eyes. The sinks had not budged. Ron looked back at Hermione, who was behind him waiting with crossed arms. She shook her head. "English."

Ron turned his back to her and tried again. And again. And again. He tried speaking Parseltongue for what felt like ten times, but before he could try again, Hermione spoke up.

"Ron, you obviously can't speak Parseltongue. Can we just go get Harry?"

"No!" The response came out louder than he had meant it to and it echoed off the bathroom walls. "I…I need to do this on my own."

"Why?" Hermione persisted.

"Because I need to prove I'm not useless!" Hermione's expression softened, but Ron turned his back on her again before she could say anything more. Nevertheless, he heard a small voice behind him speak softly: "You're not useless, Ron."

He felt his ears turning red and he was sure Hermione was blushing behind him. "I'm trying again. Just one more time, and I promise we'll go find Harry if I can't open it, alright?"

He turned back around to see Hermione nodding. Once again, he faced the sinks. He needed to concentrate…he kept his focus on only snakes…his mind was plastered with snakes and concentration on trying to talk to them…

He let out a strangled hissing noise for the first time. To his surprise, the sinks began to open. He turned back to Hermione, grinning. "I told you I could do it, Hermione!"

Hermione beamed at him before launching herself at him. He was nearly knocked down into the gap that had opened in the middle of the bathroom. She let go of him, blushing, obviously aware that she could've had them both toppled down into a black hole when they weren't ready. "Now what?" she asked him, peering apprehensively into the hole.

"We go into the Chamber," Ron said. "It's a slide, you won't get hurt. I'll go first, alright?" Ron dropped down into the hole, and he soon heard a thump that meant that Hermione was right behind him.

When his feet eventually hit the ground, he looked up and saw the Chamber exactly how he had left it. The whole place was a mess from the avalanche that had split him and Harry up almost five years ago.

Before he could look around much more, Hermione appeared out of nowhere and landed with a _thump_ on the ground as the slide ended. Ron scurried to help her up.

"We'll have to get through that hole to get to the Chamber," he said, pointing to the small hole his thirteen-year-old self had dug out to get to Harry after the rocks had separated them.

However, Hermione seemed to know what had happened from what the two boys had told her those years ago. "Did – did you – dig that hole out?"

Ron shrugged modestly, "Yeah, had to. Anyway, I needed _something_ to do while Harry went and slew that snake." Hermione smiled at his joke, and he grinned back at her. However, her smile faded fast. "We can't get through that hole, it's too small."

She drew her wand, and told Ron to step back. Not soon after he did had she screamed "_Bombarda!_" causing the rocks to explode into different directions.

Ron slowly lowered his arms from in front of his face, his arms now covered with dust. He looked at Hermione, who looked apologetic. "Sorry," she said. "But we wouldn't have been able to fit!"

"'S alright." Ron crawled through the hole first, making sure Hermione was right behind him.

There was a long, winding tunnel up ahead. Ron and Hermione were in complete darkness. Ron launched his hand in his pocket to draw his wand, and he heard Hermione do the same. They both said _"Lumos!"_ in unison and two beams of light illuminated the darkness from their wands.

"I don't think it's that far," Ron told Hermione, though he had absolutely no idea. He took her hand and pulled her along, hoping there were no forks in the path.

Eventually, they came to a solid wall on which two intertwined serpents were carved into. Ron groaned internally at the thought of the attempt of speaking Parseltongue again. However, after five tries, he was able to open the wall that gave them entrance to the Chamber. He noticed Hermione beaming at him with pride out of the corner of his eye, and his stomach dropped at the thought of her pride for him.

The Chamber was long and completely made of stone, but that wasn't the startling part of it. In the middle of the Chamber, lay a huge, fifty-foot long body of a snake. It was frightening to think that Harry had stabbed the beast only five years ago. It was slowly decomposing; the body was attracting flies and maggots. The fangs inside the basilisk's skull, however, were what caught Ron's attention.

He nudged Hermione with an elbow. "Hey." He pointed over at the basilisk's gaping mouth which Hermione's eyes fell on. She looked back at him, looking slightly nauseated. "So the fangs are what we need?" Ron nodded, wishing there was a less difficult way to destroy the Horcruxes.

He led Hermione over to the giant mouth; and found that he could fit inside it. Fortunately, almost all the fangs had fallen out of the basilisk's rotting gums and Ron could simply pick them up off of what was left of the basilisk's tongue without entrance to the mouth.

He picked one bloodstained, venomous, fang and turned back to Hermione. "I have the cup…and I think we should destroy it now." Hermione looked surprised, and looked worriedly down at the cup and fang in Ron's hands. "Are- are you sure? I mean, we could wait for Harry…" she stammered and trailed off when she noticed Ron shaking his head.

"We have to do it now," he told her. "We can't wait anymore, especially when we have what we need to destroy it."

Ron looked back at the cup and then the fang when a sudden realization dawned on him. "And…er…I think you need to do it." He regretted saying it, but he had had an insight that Hermione was the person who was supposed to destroy the next Horcrux.

As he had predicted, she was clearly taken aback. "W-What? Ron, I can't –"

"You can, and you will," Ron said firmly. "I just have this feeling that you have to do it, alright? Please?"

Hermione stared at him with a slightly agape mouth and then nodded. He knew she no longer wanted to argue with him.

"It's going to say things…things to make you stop…just ignore it, alright?" Hermione looked confused at his words and said, "The _cup_ is going to talk to me?" Ron nodded grimly and set the cup down on the ground. Hermione held the fang and hesitantly started to raise it to stab it when as Ron predicted, the voice of Tom Riddle came booming out of the cup:

"_I know who you are, Hermione Granger, and I've seen your mind. I know what you desire and what you fear. I have the power to destroy all your hopes for your life…and I also have the power to make them happen…"_

Ron saw that Hermione's eyes already had the same terrified look he had felt when he had stabbed the locket. "Hermione, don't listen to it, stab it now." However, Hermione's arm stayed frozen in the air, her fingers gripping the fang as she continued to listen to the cup.

"_An insufferable know-it-all, as your professor put it, you are completely useless, only getting in the way of your two best friends…"_

"Hermione!" Ron wanted to shake her to snap her out of the trance she was in. "Don't listen to it, it's lying!"

Suddenly, the cup began to shake, and Ron's worst fear for the situation was realized. Two clones of himself and Harry had rose from the depths of the cup and towered over Hermione and himself. They were made out of some kind of silvery vapor, but they couldn't look more real. The fake Harry spoke:

"_You were never important, a mere annoyance on our backs…you were never helpful, always useless…_

"_Why would you ever think of us as _your _friends?"_ the fake Ron spat at her. Hermione's eyes were swimming with tears, and Ron wanted nothing more than to hug her and reassure that wasn't true. However, the fake Ron continued:

"_You never meant anything to us, why bother following us around? You've always been a pathetic, useless Mudblood and you will never fit in with the wizarding world!"_

At this, tears were streaming down Hermione's face and Ron yelled out, "STAB IT!"

Whether she heard him or not, it did not matter, for she brought the fang down on the cup and started stabbing it with such viciousness, Ron was momentarily afraid of her. The cup screamed and the fake Harry and Ron evaporated into thin air. When there was silence once more, Hermione dropped the fang, fell to her knees, and started sobbing furiously.

Ron approached her carefully and kneeled down next to her. "You know none of that was true, Hermione. Riddle was just getting to you. He did the same to me." Hermione didn't show any sign that she had heard Ron; however, she fell into his arms when she realized he was there. He drew his arms around her and hugged her to his chest.

When she seemed to dry out, Ron said into her hair, "You know me and Harry don't think at all of you as useless. If it wasn't for you, Hermione, we both would've been dead a long time ago."

Hermione sniffed and escaped from his embrace. "I just can't believe Riddle knew _exactly_ what I was thinking. Ron, that's exactly what I've always been afraid of! Being useless!"

"You've never been useless, Hermione," Ron said truthfully. "You've actually been the exact opposite, come to think of it."

Hermione almost scoffed. "Sure about that?"

Ron raised his eyebrows. "I've never been more sure about anything else."

Hermione sniffed and wiped her eyes on her robes. "Well, I guess you and Harry would've been dead in second year if I hadn't figured out the basilisk was living in the pipes."

Ron smiled, knowing the Hermione he loved was back.


	26. All Control Gone

The battle was becoming less raging. People were getting exhausted, including Death Eaters. Most everyone were mourning over the dead, there were less people fighting anymore.

Hermione looked around the Great Hall at everyone who had fought. She was sitting with the Weasley family, most of whom were grieving over the body of Fred. There were bodies sprawled all over the Great Hall, and most families had formed their own circles around their losses. Her eyes traveled back to the Weasley family. Bill was embracing his mother, who was crying over Fred's body. Mr. Weasley was looking sadly at his son's body. George was staring at his twin's body, all hope was lost from his eyes, and Hermione's heart went out for him. Percy was sobbing hysterically, crying that it was all his fault, and Charlie was trying to calm him down. Her eyes landed on Ron, who was embracing Ginny.

It was amazing that with all the madness that was happening around them, Hermione had found time to kiss Ron for the first time. But she needed to do it. She needed Ron to know that she had forgiven him, and that she loved him more than anything else because she knew that the end was near, and she might not have another opportunity.

Ron's eyes met hers, and she saw immense sadness in them.

He had lost hope.

Hermione got up and started walking away, not fully aware of where she was going, but knowing that Ron was going to follow her. Harry had gone to watch Snape's memory, but he had been gone much too long. She knew what he was thinking, and she couldn't bare it.

She began to run, fully aware that Ron was behind her. She suddenly stopped. She hadn't lost hope yet, but she knew she was very close.

Ron had caught up to her. "Hermione, where are you going?"

Hermione blinked and stared at him. "I – I had to get away from all this." They were in the middle of an empty corridor, but they still could see people in the Great Hall.

"Where is he?"

Hermione knew Ron was talking about Harry, but she was determined to keep her head for once. "Ron, he's fine, he's just looking at Snape's memory…"

"Don't lie," he snarled at her. "We both know he's turned himself in."

"You don't know that, Ron…"

"Yeah, I do!" Ron suddenly exploded. "D'you think I don't know my best mate at all? He's gone to turn himself in because he thinks that'll save us! He thinks by letting himself die, that'll save all these people, even though that makes no sense and is bloody STUPID!"

Hermione was quiet; her eyes were sparkling with tears. She had only seen Ron explode like this a few times, but he had never sounded so serious.

"Ron, I'm sure –"

"No, you're NOT!" Ron had lost all hope, and was now screaming at the top of his lungs. "HOW CAN YOU BE SURE, HERMIONE? YOU CAN'T! HARRY'S DEAD, WE'RE ALL DONE FOR, AND VOLDEMORT'S WON! I'VE HAD IT! I'M DONE! I'M TIRED OF FIGHTING, AND I'M TIRED OF WAR! THE WORLD IS OVER, AND FRED IS _DEAD!_"

He put the last of his energy into the last word, and pounded the nearest wall with his fist. He slid down onto the floor and despite his efforts to stop it; the tears started falling faster than ever.

Hermione knew Ron enough that crying was his last sign of surrender and vulnerability. She kneeled down next to him and put his head against her chest, just as he had done for her on several occasions. She started stroking his hair as he sobbed hysterically. She knew everything that had built up in him for the last few months was finally coming out.

After what seemed like forever, Ron escaped from Hermione's embrace and wiped his eyes. Hermione sighed. She knew it was useless to apologize to him about Fred. "It's not over, Ron."

Ron looked like he wanted to retort, but he simply nodded. He needed reassurance. Hermione turned his face so he was looking at her. She kissed him slowly on the lips, a much more decent kiss than the first, less hurried and forced. He was just as eager to return the kiss, despite the mood he was in; Hermione's kiss was just what he needed to indulge in.

Hermione broke the kiss after what seemed like forever. She smiled for the first time in months. Ron gave her forced smile. "I needed that."

"I know you did," Hermione said back.

He put an arm around her and together they waited for their best friend to return home.


	27. Confessions

It was all over. The running, the hiding, the _war,_ everything that had caused Ron mental, emotional, and physical pain was over. Voldemort was dead, and Harry was safe. More important than anything, Ron and his friends were alive and everyone had survived…well, most everyone, anyway.

Ron sighed. He was in his room in the Burrow, and the war had ended three days previously. There was going to be a funeral taking place at Hogwarts for all the people who had died the next day. Out of all the places in the world, Hogwarts was the last place Ron wanted to be. The memories of the war that flooded his mind made him want to stay away from the school forever.

Fred, Tonks, and Lupin were all going to be part of the funeral. Ron felt the tears well up in his eyes at the thought of them, especially Fred. Everything was going to be different now. No more worries about Harry, no more war, no more Voldemort…and he could finally get going with Hermione in the way he always wanted…

Ron smiled to himself. The thought of a perfect world with Hermione was pure bliss.

A knock on the door tore Ron out of his thoughts. He sat up and saw Hermione poke her head in. "Hi."

He grinned at her. "Hey. Come on in." Hermione nodded and did as he asked, shutting the door behind her.

She sat down on his bed next to him and sighed. "It's all over, isn't it?"

He grinned his lopsided grin. "Yeah, it is. And we're alive, too." His thoughts lingered on Fred, but he didn't want to bring him up in front of her for fear he would start crying hysterically.

She smiled. Then without warning, for reasons unknown to Ron, she started laughing. "Oh, but have you actually – _thought - _of what we've done - for the past seven years?" she asked in between giggles. Ron frowned and started to laugh along with her when his thoughts landed on how he had vomited slugs in second year. Their laughter grew hysterical, which is what they both needed after the war.

"D'you remember – that stupid fight we had about your rat and Crookshanks?" Hermione said breathlessly, unable to stop laughing. "I mean – it was so stupid!"

Ron was dying; now that he thought about it, every little squabble he had gotten into with Hermione now seemed so pointless and stupid.

"And that – fight we had about Victor Krum –" Ron was able to get out. Hermione's laughter subsided slightly and she didn't respond.

When they were able to regain themselves, Ron sat up from where he had fallen on his bed due to the laughter. Hermione hadn't spoken for a while, and Ron had a suspicion he had said something wrong. "You know…er…I was really jealous that night you came to the Ball with Victor."

"No!" Hermione said sarcastically. Ron rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well…I was really out of line and I'm sorry."

Hermione's eyebrows rose. "Well, that's a first."

Ron nodded. "Yeah it is. And about leaving you –"

"What?" Hermione snapped. Ron decided it was still a touchy subject with her. "Well, I just –"

"You just what?" Hermione pressed on. She had jumped up from the bed and was sending Ron daggers through her eyes, which he was used to. "You just wanted to bring it up again and try to apologize again? I've forgiven you Ron, it's over!"

However, Ron knew it wasn't over; on the contrary, Hermione was still upset about the situation.

"Hermione you know I still don't feel right about it –"

"Really?" Hermione asked, her voice getting higher by each sentence. "Because I feel just _marvelous _about it! _Spectacular_ in fact, that you had enough courage to even come back!"

Ron's blood was starting to boil. She was accusing him when he was trying to _apologize?_ "Hermione, I'm trying to apologize, what - ?"

"Ron, I told you, I've already forgiven you, it's done –"

"God, can't you understand?" Ron finally overpowered her voice. "I'm trying to tell you something – I –"

"Then get it out, Ron!" Hermione yelled back impatiently.

"I – I bloody love you!" Ron screamed finally. Hermione shut her mouth and looked as if she had been slapped in the face.

"I love everything about you, your eyes, your hair, your smile, everything! I love that you're bloody brilliant and that you know everything about _everything,_ I love that you can drive me absolutely mad and make me laugh at the same time. I love the fights we get in, but I love it more when you forgive me for being a git. I can't stand it when you cry, and I love it when you laugh or smile. You drive me mad, Hermione, but I'm – I'm in love with you."

Ron caught his breath and finally faced Hermione. She was staring at him with a mixture of awe and admiration with her mouth slightly open. "Ron –"

Before she could much farther than that, Ron took the few strides he needed to and kissed her with a force that made them both slightly dizzy. Hermione didn't back off, on the contrary, she eagerly responded with just as much force. He pulled her in closer by her waist, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He could feel both their hearts beating together as one and the relief that he had after finally admitting to Hermione how he felt…

A knock on the door made them jump apart. Ron opened the door and was met by Harry. "Oh, bravo mate." He gave a smirk that told Ron that he had heard everything that Ron had said. Ron's eyes widened and Harry laughed. "Don't worry, mate. I'm not going to say anything. Just be glad Fr – George didn't hear." Harry blushed, and Ron knew he almost said "Fred and George" on mistake. Ron pretended he didn't hear.

"Anyway, what d'you want?" Ron asked. Harry pushed past him and shot Hermione an I-know-what-you-were-doing look.

"Oh, just wanted to know where you two ran off to," Harry smirked. "And now I do, don't I?"

Hermione spoke up. "Harry, we were just –"

"Please, spare me the details," Harry said, looking revolted. "I'm going to try to find Ginny – be good, you two." Harry winked at the two of them and left.

Ron peeked out the door to make sure Harry had really left, and then closed it.

"Ron, I need you to know something," Hermione said, approaching him again. "I don't want Victor Krum, or Harry, or any other famous bloke. I want _you_. I always have. Ron, you're the only person I'll ever want to be with."

Ron grinned. "Really?"

Hermione smiled and nodded. She rose on her toes so she could talk into his ear: "I love you too. I have for three years. You have the amazing ability to make me smile and drive me mad at the same time and I love that. You're brave and protective, and I'll always feel safe around you."

There was nothing in the world Ron loved more than hearing those words. He was in love with an amazing witch, and what was more amazing, she loved him back.


	28. Separation

It was two weeks after the war ended when Hermione decided to go find her parents, who were still in Australia. She and Harry had been staying in the Burrow since the end of the war, just until the wizarding world had repaired itself enough for them to find some jobs.

The day of her departure, Ron was exceptionally irritable, especially since Hermione was leaving for two months to bring her parents back and spend time with them.

Around noon that day, a floating trunk came drifting vaguely down the staircase, followed by a stressful-looking Hermione, who was directing the trunk with her wand. Ron was slightly angry with her, and ignored her as she passed him on the way out of the house.

Her things were stacked up in the yard, Crookshanks in his basket; all packed up and ready to go. Ron followed her outside, despite his anger; he had to try once more.

"Can't you stay?" he asked pleadingly to her back. She turned around, wearing her disheveled hair up in a plait and a frown.

"No, I mustn't, Ron!" Hermione said. "And no, you can't come with. You know I'd like nothing more than for you to come along, but I need to do this on my own. Anyway, it'll be enough of a shock for my parents that I was in a war without telling them about…us." She blushed at the last word and turned back into the house to get another bag.

Ron rolled his eyes and followed her. Ever since their discussion in Ron's room a few days after the war, they were no longer awkward with each other, though they would still blush at certain things they said or heard.

Hermione was taking the stairs three at a time, but Ron easily caught up with his long legs. "Why can't I come?"

Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "For the millionth time, it'll be too much _already_ for my parents when I tell them I've been risking my life for the last few months."

She was on the fourth landing when Ron took a few strides and was able to get in front of her. "That's not the real reason, you're lying."

Hermione pushed past him to get into Ginny's room. "Ron, can't we do this later? I'll be back in two months…" She reached onto the bed she had been sleeping in for the last two and a half weeks to retrieve her last bag and shut Ginny's door behind her.

"No, we can't do this later, because you'll be in _Australia_ later!" Ron burst out furiously. "Just tell me why I can't come and I won't bother you anymore!"

"Fine!" Hermione spat. "If you _must_ know…I don't want anyone coming with me because I know that once I explain things…my parents are going to fly off the handle, and I don't want you or anyone with me because I know you or anyone else would try to intervene to defend me!"

"Why is that bad?" Ron shot back at her.

Hermione let out a huffy sigh. "_Because_ if I know you well enough, you'll start arguing with my parents about how I've been in all kinds off terrorizing events and that's the _last_ thing my parents need to hear, especially out of you!" She pushed past him to go downstairs and he followed.

Once she was outside, she stacked the last bag on the pile of things she had and turned back to Ron, speaking in a much softer tone than before, "Ron, I just need to do this alone, alright? I don't know why you need more of an explanation than that."

She took a few more steps to cover the space between them and wrapped her arms around him. "I'll be back before you can miss me, alright?"

Ron kissed her forehead hesitantly. "Those aeroplanes crash though, don't they?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Ron, I'll be fine –"

"And what if you run into a group of Death Eaters while you're there who want revenge on us?" Ron asked wildly.

"Ron, what are the odds of –"

"Hermione," Ron said suddenly, "you know that I want to come with you only because I want to keep my promise."

Hermione's expression softened at the mention of Ron's promise. "Ron, as far as crashing goes, you wouldn't be able to do anything about it even if you were with me, and all the Death Eaters have been arrested."

"You don't know that for sure," Ron mumbled.

Hermione let go of him and threw her hands up to the sky. "Fine Ron. Whatever. I'm done trying to convince you." She strode back into the house to say her final goodbyes.

Ron felt guilty, and he knew she was furious with him if she wasn't willing to argue with him.

Despite his frustration with her, he watched her say goodbye to his family from the doorway. He loved to watch her, no matter how angry she was with him or him with her. He loved watching her studying, reading, or simply sleeping. He remembered many times in the last year when he would watch her sleep for what felt like hours. Hermione would always be the most beautiful thing in the world in Ron's mind.

Hermione was hugging his parents and thanking them for letting her stay at the Burrow. He watched as she hugged each of his siblings in turn, hugging Ginny more tightly than the others. She was saying something quietly to his sister that he couldn't hear. No doubt it was only girl things. Hermione hugged Ginny once more, and moved onto George, who had been forced out of his room by Ginny to say goodbye to Hermione. He was still grieving over Fred, and he probably would be for a long time.

Hermione moved onto Harry, whom she hugged longer than Ginny. Ron watched her say something to him too, and then watched her kiss him on the cheek. Ron's blood started to boil, and he felt the jealousy that had gone for the last few weeks come back. In the back of his mind he knew it was nothing, because he knew Hermione would never do anything to hurt him on purpose. But the jealous monster in his chest, like always, took over his brain.

Hermione was walking toward him. Before he could stop himself he said louder than he meant, "What was _that_?"

Hermione knew he was indicating the kiss she had given Harry. "Ron, its _Harry. _He's dating Ginny, and he's my best friend. Anyway, you know I would never do that purposely to hurt you."

Ron realized he was being stupid and for the first time, didn't argue back. _She's good,_ the voice in the back of his head said.

"So, do I get a goodbye out of you or not?" Hermione asked, placing one more bag on her growing pile of things. Ron managed a grin, and kissed her soundly. She didn't hold back and eagerly responded. Ron was lost in his own world with Hermione when a voice worthy of Umbridge made them jump apart.

"_Hem, hem."_

Ron turned to find his entire family plus Harry watching him and Hermione with mild interest. Ginny had cleared her throat finally, losing interest in the scene. Ron could feel his whole face burning with embarrassment, but when he looked at Hermione, she didn't look at all embarrassed. She was looking at him with confusion, as if she didn't understand why he was embarrassed.

His whole family was laughing at them, however. Ron heard Harry yell, "C'mon, give us another one, lovebirds!" His family started egging them on, including his parents. He realized at that moment that they had all been waiting on him and Hermione for as long as he had been waiting for Hermione.

Hermione turned to him and gave him an almost flirty look, which was unlike her. She rolled her eyes at his family, grabbed his collar and kissed him deeply. He grabbed her waist and pulled her closer. He heard everyone around them wolf-whistling and clapping, and he grinned against Hermione's lips.

She broke the kiss as fast as she had started it. She hugged him one last time, whispered, "I'll be back" and before Ron knew it, she had Disapparated to the airport and was gone.


	29. Boggarts and Announcements

A year and a half had passed since the conquer over Voldemort, and everyone was happy. Hermione had gotten a job in the Ministry after going back to Hogwarts with Ginny and missing Harry and Ron (whom had both decided to get jobs right away) terribly. She was nineteen years old and she had already freed a number of house-elves. She lived in a flat in Diagon Alley, very near to Muggle London where her parents lived, whom she had brought home from Australia safely.

Ron was helping George with the joke shop, though he hoped to eventually become an Auror. He lived above Weasley Wizard Wheezes and shared a flat with George and Harry.

Harry was getting more than enough attention. Reporters would bombard him with questions everywhere he turned. Sometimes he was forced to use his Invisibility Cloak to simply leave his flat. He was working at the Ministry, a minor delivery boy-type job, which he preferred at the moment. He also wanted to become an Auror, but he wanted to take the training with Ron.

Ginny was still living at the Burrow. She told everyone who asked that she wasn't quite ready to leave, and her parents quite agreed. Despite this, she still was seeing Harry, and she would visit the shop every other day.

Teddy Lupin was being raised by his grandmother, but Harry made sure he visited him on a regular basis. Hermione often saw him a lot too, for Harry would drag them all to see him.

Bill and Fleur were expecting their first child, due in four months time. Hermione thought it was wonderful, and was determined she would help whenever she could.

One day, the whole family was meeting at number twelve, Grimmauld Place for a get – together.

When Hermione arrived, the house was already filled with everyone she loved. Molly Weasley came down the stairs, greeting her with a huge hug like always. Hermione hugged her back, feeling like she was truly home.

Harry, Ginny, and George were all talking in the corner by the staircase. They all looked up and grinned at her.

Hermione strolled over to them, her face lit up. "Hi…Sorry, I was late…I just had so much work to do…" she hugged each of them in turn, and didn't miss Harry rolling his eyes when he thought she wasn't looking. "Has anyone seen Ron?"

Harry nodded. "He's in the kitchen talking with Bill and Fleur." Hermione smiled her gratitude and turned the corner to the kitchen.

She heard Ron's voice talking about the joke shop. "…so if we bring in more Puking Pastilles…I mean, according to Harry's calculations…we could bring the demand up by thirty percent!"

"You've certainly gotten cleverer over the years," Hermione said, walking into the kitchen. Ron's eyes lit up at the sight of her, and she kissed him softly on the lips.

"I'm not stupid," Ron muttered, slightly put out.

Hermione grinned broadly. "I know. How's the baby, Fleur?"

Fleur looked disgruntled. "My feet 'urt, and zis baby's making me feel like I'm carrying around a twenty-pound zack! Ozzer zen zat, everyzing's marvelous!"

Hermione wasn't sure whether to laugh or not. Fleur, who had always liked her, turned away, her silver hair flying, and stormed off. Bill, however, looked quite amused, but apologetic.

"Sorry about her. She's been getting moodier and moodier as her pregnancy has gone on."

"BEEL!"

Ron and Hermione started at the sound of Fleur's voice, but Bill looked calm. "That's my cue. Excuse me."

Bill left, but before Hermione could say anything to Ron, Harry came into the kitchen and said, "Ron, Hermione, Percy wants you to come into the drawing room. Says he's got an announcement." When Ron and Hermione gave him a questioning look, Harry shrugged and left the room. Hermione smiled at Ron, and he put his arm around her shoulders before they both entered the drawing room.

Everyone was gathered in the small room. Arthur and Charlie Weasley were on the sofa, having an animated conversation about dragons. They both smiled at her when she entered, which she returned. Andromeda Tonks was sitting in the corner, talking with Molly. Teddy Lupin was on Ginny's lap, who was sharing an armchair with Harry by the fire. Bill and Fleur were on the other sofa, Fleur looking exceptionally irritated. George was off by himself in another armchair, staring off into space. Percy and his girlfriend, Audrey, a beautiful but slightly bold girl with dark hair, were standing in the middle of the room, waiting for everyone to arrive.

Ron and Hermione sat on the third sofa opposite of Harry and Ginny's armchair. Harry caught Hermione's eye and winked, obviously still teasing her and Ron about finally getting together. Hermione rolled her eyes and kept her attention on Percy.

"Alright, I need everyone's attention!" Percy said commandingly, and Hermione was reminded of the days when he was Head Boy at Hogwarts. Everyone stopped talking and stared at Percy. "Alright. I'm just going to say it. Audrey and I are engaged."

There was an instant uproar after a millisecond pause. Molly completely broke down into tears, and most everyone in the room was shaking Percy's hand and hugging Audrey, saying, "Congratulations!" and "Good for you!"

After this commotion settled, Arthur rose and said, "I think this calls for drinks and a toast!" He waved his wand and a tray of firewhiskey zoomed into the room. Everyone took a glass and rang out: "To Percy and Audrey!"

There was much chatter after this; Hermione barely remembered any of it. There was celebrations and more chatter, and Hermione simply went with the flow that was coming at her.

After the festivities were done and most everyone had left, Molly came up to Hermione. The only people who were left at Grimmauld Place were Molly and Arthur, Harry, Ginny, Ron, and herself.

"Hermione dear, there's a boggart in the drawer of the desk in the drawing room upstairs again," Molly said. "I feel like they're breeding up there…anyway, do you think you can sort it out? I fear the last time I faced a boggart, one of my fears came true."

And the subject came up, just like that. Fred.

Hermione patted her on the back before the tears could come. "No problem, Mrs. Weasley."

"Please dear, it's Molly now. You're part of the family now."

Hermione smiled faintly. "Not until it's official." Molly smiled. She knew what Hermione was talking about: marriage. Secretly, Hermione was hoping to the heavens that Ron would propose eventually; the sooner, the better.

Hermione climbed the stairs to the room where the boggart was, her wand out at the ready. She hadn't faced a boggart in almost six years, and she had a feeling that her worst fear had definitely changed.

She crept into the drawing room and cautiously opened the drawer the boggart was in.

The minute the boggart saw her, it swirled into a mini-tornado in the air, as if it couldn't decide what her worst fear was. Hermione waited; she didn't know why she wasn't taking this chance to do something about it. She figured she wanted to know what her worst fear was now after all these years; she definitely knew it wasn't Mcgonagall telling her she had failed all her classes.

The boggart finally became Ron lying on the ground, clearly dead.

Hermione stared at it and tried to concentrate on something happy. _It's just a stupid boggart…come on…you can do this…_

"_R-Riddikulus!"_ Nothing happened more than the boggart changing into Harry's dead body. Hermione could feel the tears coming to her faster than she could stop them. She began to believe they were really dead. _Ron and Harry dead…no…_

"_Riddikulus! RIDDIKULUS!" _The boggart simply changed into both Ron and Harry's dead bodies…they hadn't known what had hit them…

She reduced to hysterical sobs, at which point Ron came into the room, shouting, "Ridikulus!" before the boggart could turn into his worst fear and evaporating the boggart into thin air.

"Hermione, I'm right here, I'm not dead, it's fine!" Ron took her into his arms and squeezed her. "Harry's downstairs and he's fine too! We're all alive!"

Ron had seen the boggart and was obviously trying to make her feel better. Hermione sobbed harder at this and squeezed him tighter. He was stroking her hair, occasionally mumbling, "We're all fine, no one's dead…"

Hermione finally surfaced and looked into his eyes. "I didn't know that was my worst fear. The last time I saw a boggart, it was McGonagall telling me I had failed everything. I had no idea..." Fresh tears started to fall and she stifled a sob. "I would never be able to bare it if you or Harry died. I would die myself. You're my best friends." Hermione gave a small smile and Ron tried to smile back.

"Hermione, me and Harry are never going to leave you. The war's over, and now there's nothing threatening our lives, so we're fine." He embraced her again, and she hugged his neck. "I want to move in with you."

If she hadn't heard it come out of her own mouth, she wouldn't have believed she had said it. Ron let go of her. "What?"

Hermione beamed. "I want to move in with you. We've been dating for eighteen months and I think it's time." Hermione looked eagerly at him.

Ron grinned back. "This is mad," he whispered.

Hermione looked confused. "What is?"

"That I could've gotten to be with the most amazing girl in the world," Ron grinned. "Never thought I could deserve it."

Hermione grabbed his hand and together, they Disapparated to Diagon Alley.


	30. Auror Training

* * *

Two years after the dreaded night where Voldemort had died, Ron and Hermione were still going strong. They lived above Weasley Wizard Wheezes in a flat with Harry, Ginny, and George. It wasn't quite what Hermione wanted, Ron knew, but she seemed happy enough to live with all her friends.

Ginny had joined the Witches' Quidditch League, on a team called the Holyhead Harpies. Ron and Hermione tried to come to as many matches as they could.

Percy and Audrey had started planning their wedding, and Mrs. Weasley was constantly trying to help.

Bill and Fleur had had a baby girl, who was named Victoire. The whole family had been at St. Mungo's to see baby Victoire in the first few hours she was born. Hermione had never seen a more beautiful baby, and she knew it was the part-veela from Fleur that shown out of Victoire.

Hermione was still working at the Ministry and both Harry and Ron had joined her to begin their training to become Aurors. One particularly seemingly normal day, Ron and Harry were both getting ready to head to the Ministry.

Ron and Harry shared a room, Hermione and Ginny shared a room, while George had his own room. After showering and getting dressed, Ron opened the door to Hermione and Ginny's room.

Ginny was already having breakfast in the kitchen, but Hermione was still asleep; she had had a late night at the Ministry, and had taken the day off today, only to satisfy Ron's pleading. Ron approached her and swept her bushy hair to the side to kiss her neck. She stirred slightly and smiled in her sleep. Ron kneeled down by her side just as he watched her eyes open.

"Hey," she said sleepily. "Are you going to work?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah, Harry and me will be back at six. George is already downstairs opening the shop."

Hermione lifted her head to kiss Ron softly on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you too," Ron grinned. "Go back to sleep, you stayed up too late last night."

Hermione smiled and lay back down, closing her eyes. Ron stood up and slowly made his way out of her room, his eyes never leaving her. The last thing he wanted to do was go to the Ministry and leave Hermione. However, he regretfully closed the door behind him and turned around to be face to face with Harry.

Harry smirked and shot Ron a knowing look. Ron ignored him and said, "Let's go."

"Whatever you say," Harry said. They Disapparated to the Ministry and entered through the employee entrance.

* * *

Ten hours later, Ron and Harry left the Ministry, both silently stunned.

"How are we going to tell Ginny and Hermione?" Harry asked Ron. Ron shook his head; he couldn't handle what he had heard his trainer, Neil, say.

"I don't know," Ron said. "I don't know how to handle this."

They Disapparated silently to their flat in Diagon Alley. Hermione and Ginny were in the kitchen, and greeted both of them. Ron turned to Harry and quietly said, "You take Ginny, I'll take Hermione. I think they should hear this separately." Harry nodded.

Ron turned to Hermione, who was smiling at him. "C'mon. I need to tell you something." He took her arm and led her out of the flat, out of the shop, and onto the streets of Diagon Alley.

"Ron, what is it?" Hermione asked, bewildered. He looked at her and saw mild curiosity in her eyes.

"I have to tell you something," Ron said.

"Alright," Hermione said, nodding. They started walking down the street.

"Hermione, Neil told me I had to go away for a while to an Auror camp for more training."

Hermione looked up at him and knew he was going to say the worst. "For how long?"

Ron paused, and braced himself for the explosion. "A year," he said meekly.

"WHAT?" Hermione's voice was heard throughout the streets and many people looked round to see where the source of the yell was from. "A – a year?" she said weakly.

Ron nodded. "Hermione, you know it's the last thing I want to do. Harry's coming with, and he's telling Ginny right now."

Hermione's eyes were glittering with tears. "Can't you w-work something else out? Can't you –" she broke off and her voice choked.

Ron pulled her into a hug and she cried silently into his chest. After a few moments, he pulled away and took her by her shoulders.

"Hermione, look at me," Ron said. She looked into his eyes with a slight pout. "Whatever it takes, I'm going to change this. I want to be an Auror, but I want you more."

Hermione smiled. "Ron, just promise me you'll still go to training. I don't want to get in the way of your dream, but I just can't have you away that long."

Ron nodded and kissed her softly. Hermione smiled and led the way back to the flat.

* * *

The next day, Ron and Harry approached their Auror trainer, Neil, to confront him about training.

"Neil, is there any chance that Harry and me could do our training a bit slower than everyone else?" Ron asked.

Neil looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Harry intervened. "What we mean is that we don't want to be gone for a year. We both think it's much too long. Is there any chance we can be gone for a few months at a time?"

Neil smiled knowingly. "Ah, I've heard this before. Your girls don't want you going, do they?"

Harry and Ron shook their heads. "Not for a second."

"I can fix this," Neil said. "What if you go away every three months for two months until you've been trained for a year? Then we can see where we can go from there. It takes three years to train a wizard to become an Auror, and you've already completed a year and a half at the Ministry."

Harry and Ron nodded. "We know."

"So…in two weeks, you'll be going away for two months?"

Harry and Ron beamed. "Perfect."

* * *

Harry and Ron were able to see Hermione at lunch that day and tell her the good news. She was overjoyed with the relief that her best friends wouldn't be away for a year.

"So we'll be going away in two weeks at a hidden camp for two months," Ron said.

"As long as it's not for a year, I'm alright with it," Hermione said. "I'm already dreading the day you two go away."

"Honestly Hermione, it's only two months," Harry said. "We've been away from you for that long during summer breaks when we were in school, remember?"

"Yes, but now that the war's over, I don't want you two out of my sight," Hermione said. "I hate being away from you two."

"You'll be fine," Ron reassured. Hermione smiled, but he knew her enough to know it was a forced smile.

* * *

The day of Harry and Ron's departure came soon enough, but Ron now didn't have the heart to leave Hermione.

The train that was going to take them to the Auror camp was parked on the tracks, the engine getting ready to take the train across the country.

Ron hugged his sister goodbye and turned to Hermione, who had just gotten done saying her farewells to Harry. Her eyes were filled with tears and as always, Ron wanted to throw himself on the tracks and wait for the train to run him over at the sight of her tears. "It's two months, Hermione. I'll be back before you can miss me."

"I know," Hermione gave him a watery smile. "I just…I'm not going to have anything to distract me, while you will! You won't miss me at all because you'll be getting trained for the next two months!"

"Hermione, you know that's not true," Ron said sternly. He pulled her into an embrace and kissed the top of her head. "I promise, I'll miss you every second of every day. I always do." He felt her tears fall onto his chest and he squeezed her tighter.

The train whistle eventually went off, and Ron and Hermione broke apart. "I love you, Hermione."

"I love you, Ron." Hermione said back. He hugged her one last time and followed Harry onto the train. He waved out of the window and kept Hermione's face in sight until the train turned a corner, and she was gone.


	31. Return

In the last year, Ron had been going with Harry to Auror training every three months for two months. Hermione had gotten used to it; however, every time Ron came home, she greeted him with just as much passion as the time before. In another year, Ron and Harry would have their Auror training complete.

Percy and Audrey had had their wedding and luckily, Ron and Harry had been able to make it.

George had announced that he and his girlfriend, Angelina Johnson, were engaged. Hermione hadn't seen him as happy as he was when he told the family since Fred had been alive.

One foggy day in October, Hermione and Ginny were waiting at the platform for the Auror train to arrive. The way they had organized Ron and Harry's training, they had both missed Hermione's birthday. Hermione didn't mind however, for they had both sent her gifts while they were at the camp. Hermione didn't care if they missed ten years' worth of birthdays, as long as they weren't gone for the whole year, she was fine with the arrangement.

Hermione squinted up and down the tracks, desperate to see the train coming.

Ginny grinned. "Hermione, the train's not going to come any sooner if you keep doing that."

Hermione stepped away from the tracks and closer to Ginny. "Sorry Ginny, I just really want to see them, you know?"

Ginny nodded. "I do. I have to admit, this arrangement is better than Harry and Ron being away for a year, but it does become an annoyance."

"Well, it's only another year, and then they'll be with us forever." Hermione smiled at the thought. She already knew that she would be spending her life with Ron. She loved him more than anything else, and the way he always was looking out for her, she knew he felt the same way.

"Hey, the train's coming!" Ginny exclaimed, seeing the scarlet engine in the distance.

Hermione's heart jumped to her throat. After seven years of knowing Ron and three years of being together as more than just best friends, her stomach still fluttered at the thought of seeing him.

The train came to a stop on the platform and Hermione and Ginny watched as unrecognizable Aurors-in-training came streaming out of the train. Hermione craned her neck to find either a vivid redhead or dark-haired man.

"D'you see them?" she anxiously asked Ginny.

"No," answered Ginny, sounding equally fearful.

They both searched the growing crowd for Ron and Harry. Hermione was beginning to panic when Ginny called to her. "Hermione! HERMIONE! I found them!"

She turned to see Ginny pointing over to Hermione's two best friends, who were both getting off the train.

As if reading each other's minds, Hermione and Ginny both shouted out to the two men: "RON! HARRY!"

Ron and Harry, whom had been searching for them, both looked in Hermione and Ginny's direction, their faces breaking out into grins. Hermione smiled back as they both hurried over to them.

Ron approached Hermione, and she was suddenly lost in their private world. She was hugging him and kissing him with more passion than ever before, and he lifted her off her feet, his body language clearly saying that he was never going to let go.


	32. Just Another Day

Ron and Harry had finally completed their Auror training. Hermione had never been more proud of her best friends than she was when they returned home for good.

George and Angelina were now married, and Ron and Harry had made the wedding again. Ron and Hermione had spent the night on the dance floor, and Hermione couldn't remember the last time Ron had been so affectionate with her. He hadn't let go of her all night, he would wrap his arms around her waist from behind when she was talking with others, then steal her away to the dance floor. This made Hermione realize just how lucky she was to have Ron.

Harry and Ginny were engaged. Harry had proposed right on the platform when he and Ron returned. Hermione had never been happier for them.

Bill and Fleur were pregnant with their second child. Victoire was now two and a half years old, her silver, veela hair down her back, and her Weasley blue eyes shown wherever she went.

On a warm April day, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all sitting out in the forest behind the Burrow. Ginny was had stayed behind to help her mother prepare lunch for the rest of the family, whom were all over the house Hermione was reading _Hogwarts, a History_ for the millionth time, she had escaped her Ministry work only on Ron's pleads, and Ron and Harry were discussing Quidditch tactics.

Hermione was concentrating very hard on her book, but she found she could no longer do so, for Harry and Ron had ceased their talking. She looked up to see them both lying on the ground looking up at the sky. She closed her book, and lay down with them. "What are we looking at?" she asked, staring up at the vast, blue sky.

"We're looking at clouds," Harry said seriously. Hermione had to resist laughing out loud. It was just like Harry and Ron to start acting like five-year-olds at the most random time.

Hermione turned her head to look back from Harry and Ron. They had made a triangle with their heads, but Ron's and Harry's eyes were set on the sky. Hermione looked up at the sky. Ron pointed to a cloud to her right. "That one looks like a Chocolate Frog."

Harry pointed to a cloud next to the Chocolate Frog cloud. "That one's a broomstick."

Hermione spotted one that looked like a Snitch. Ron saw one that was shaped like an Every Flavor Bean. Hermione finally turned her head towards his.

"Why do you keep comparing them to food?" she asked, giggling.

Ron smirked. "I'm hungry."

"Aren't you always?" Hermione asked. She looked back at the sky.

For what felt like hours, Harry, Ron and Hermione lay in content, staring up at the sky and finding clouds that shaped like other things. Hermione looked at her two best friends and wondered how she became this lucky.


	33. Harry and Ginny's Wedding

He had to get a move on. His own younger _sister_ was getting chained before he was. He needed to act now.

Ron loved Hermione more than anything and he knew he was going to be with her forever. He just needed to do the hard part and hope for the best: propose.

Harry and Ginny's wedding had finally arrived. Ron was Harry's best man, while Hermione had been chosen for the maid of honor.

Ron stood in his old room with Harry at the Burrow, where they were having the wedding. So far, all the Weasley children had been married at the Burrow. However, Ron wanted to be different, and he hoped Hermione felt the same way.

Ron was watching the guests gather down in the backyard as Harry would nervously pace the room, checking his reflection in the mirror every few moments, and constantly smoothing his dress robes. Ron ignored him. He knew Harry was just suffering from too much wedding preparation, as his own mother had overdone it on her child's wedding…again.

Ron continued to watch the guests gathering. He spotted Hagrid (who wasn't too hard to spot, anyway) taking up four seats in the back. A few of their old professors (McGonagall, Flitwick, and Slughorn) were seated next to Hagrid. George, Percy, Bill, and Charlie were seated in the front. Harry and Ginny had tried to keep the wedding as small as possible, as to avoid _Daily Prophet_ reporters finding out about it.

Harry's pacing had finally annoyed Ron to the point that he could no longer watch the guests. He turned around and gripped Harry's shoulders. "Mate, it's _Ginny_. Why are you so uptight?"

"I'm not nervous about Ginny. It's the whole fact that I'm getting married. It's really…mind-blowing."

Ron was silent and Harry turned back to the mirror to straighten his tie for the hundredth time. "You can't understand, mate. You're not chained."

"Yet." Harry turned to see Ron looking slightly hurt.

"What, are you planning to - ?" Harry stopped when he saw Ron take a small box out of his pocket. He opened it to reveal a brilliantly sparkling diamond ring. It had cost Ron half his savings, but it would be worth it to see Hermione's face when he finally proposed.

"I want to do it tonight, at the reception, if it's alright with you. It is your wedding, mate," Ron looked apologetically at Harry.

"No Ron, its fine. I would like nothing more for you and Hermione to get chained…finally." Harry grinned, and Ron smiled nervously back.

"Do what you've got to do, mate," Harry said. "Shall we go downstairs - ?"

"Yeah," Ron said quickly, hastily stowing the ring safely in his pocket. He followed Harry down the many flights of stairs in the Burrow to the kitchen. Ginny was in her room, still getting ready. Harry rushed outside to greet the many guests. Luna Lovegood was already getting ready to walk down the aisle first with Neville. Luna was dressed in a gold bridesmaid dress, her long waist-length hair up in an elegant bun. She was wearing the legendary radish earrings, and held red roses in her hands. Ginny had insisted on red and gold in honor of Gryffindor.

"Hi Luna, Neville," Ron said. "Have you seen Hermione?"

Luna shook her head, her prominent eyes getting seemingly bigger. "I think she's still getting ready in Ginny's room."

"What _is_ it with women and taking forever to get ready?" Ron said exasperatedly. Luna and Neville laughed, but the creaking of the Burrow's stairs made Ron turn his head and crick his neck. Rubbing it, he turned to see Hermione descending the stairs.

She had the same dress on as Luna, but in Ron's eyes, she was much more beautiful. Her hair wasn't straight as she had done on numerous occasions, but Ron felt he liked it better natural. However, she had gathered all her hair into a bun on top of her head. She flashed him a radiant smile as she approached him, and Ron thought he had never seen her look better.

She reached him and he held out an arm for her to take. "M'lady," he said jokingly, making her laugh. She took his arm and they lined up in front of Luna and Neville, waiting for the wedding to start.

Ron couldn't stop staring at her and Hermione seemed to notice. "What?" she asked.

Ron shook himself from his reverie and decided to just say it. "You look beautiful," he said with true sincerity. Hermione blushed and looked down at her feet. Ron knew she wasn't used to getting compliments, especially since (in the opinion of others) there were girls far prettier than her at the wedding. However, in Ron's eyes, especially now that he was no longer an ignorant fifteen-year-old, Hermione would always be much more beautiful than Fleur, or Lavender Brown, or anyone else for that matter.

Ron turned around to see Neville and Luna lined up behind them. Behind them, he saw Ginny clutching his father's arm. Ron shot her a grin, which she nervously returned. Ginny was, as always, beautiful. Her long red hair was in a similar bun to Hermione's, and there were three roses tucked in the elaborate curls. Her dress was spectacular, a long, billowing gown that flooded Ginny down to her ankles that was made out of some kind of silky material.

Ron turned back around and faced the front as the music started…

The reception after the ceremony distracted Harry and Ginny with guests whom wanted to congratulate them. Ron and Hermione hung back, for they both wanted to congratulate their best friends privately.

Ron led Hermione to the empty table they were to sit at with Harry, Ginny, Neville and Luna and they both watched Harry and Ginny get bombarded by family and friends.

After about half an hour, everyone was seated, and Hermione stood up, clinking her fork to her glass of firewhiskey. Everyone fell silent and every eye landed on her.

"I just wanted to say a few words," Hermione started. "Harry and Ginny, you both are my best friends and I love you both so much. I don't think I would've made it through Hogwarts without you two befriending me when Ron was being a prat."

The crowd laughed, and so did Ron. The statement couldn't be truer. Hermione began to wrap up her speech. "To Harry and Ginny! May their marriage last for an eternity!"

The crowd repeated after her, "To Harry and Ginny!" and they all drank to the bride and groom.

After dinner was served, Ron decided to make a speech himself. He stood up and mimicked what Hermione had done. Every head in the room turned to him.

"In our sixth year at Hogwarts School," Ron started. "My best friend started dating my sister. And being the prat I've always been, I didn't know how I felt about it. I didn't like it at first."

He paused, then continued. "But now, I know that I couldn't find anyone who could love my sister more and who I could trust more than my best mate." He raised his glass. "Harry, Ginny, my best hopes for the both of you." He sat back down and others started to applaud. Harry was looking at Ron and Hermione with great sincerity.

The first dance for the bride and groom was about to start, but before the music started, Harry put his wand to his throat and started making a speech of his own. "I just want to thank everyone for coming out here," he started. "And that I don't think I could find a more perfect family to be married into than the Weasleys. I want to thank Molly Weasley and so many more people for helping us plan this." He looked over and Mrs. Weasley, who smiled and blushed. "And I want to thank my best friends, Ron and Hermione, for sticking by me for more than ten years, no matter how hard anything became for any of us." He looked over at Ron and Hermione, who both beamed. "You guys are the greatest!"

The reception proceeded, and the music started as Harry and Ginny started dancing to a slow song by the Weird Sisters. Ron looked over at Hermione and noticed tears pouring down her face. "Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked, startled at her sudden emotions.

"It's just – I can't believe we got this far," Hermione said. "I can't believe we're all alive and that we're all still together…"

"Well, what made you think of that?" Ron asked, putting an arm around her.

"Harry's speech," Hermione said thickly. "And yours. I'm just…so happy that it's been ten years and that Harry, you and I are still together. It's amazing."

Ron wasn't sure whether to laugh or not. Hermione did cry a lot, but it was a rare occasion that the reason was because she was happy. Either way, he hugged her, not sure what else to do.

"I love you, Ron," Hermione said into his ear. Ron grinned, knowing he had waited to hear that from her for three years.

The first song of the night had finished, and Harry and Ginny had stayed on the dance floor. Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and said, "C'mon, let's dance." Hermione smiled and eagerly followed him.

Slowly, the night wore on, and Ron became more nervous about his plan for proposal. At one point, Harry was able to escape Ginny and a number of other guests to grab Ron's arm while he was dancing with Hermione.

"Hermione, can I talk to Ron for a moment?" he asked.

"Of course," she said, a little taken aback. Harry dragged Ron inside the Burrow, away from anyone else.

"Have you asked her yet?" Harry asked frantically.

"Did you see a ring on her finger? No!" Ron said. "I'm not sure if I'm going to do it tonight."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Are you joking? Ron, its _Hermione._ She's mad about you, and of course she's going to say yes! Is that what you're afraid of?"

Ron nodded. "What if she thinks I'm moving too fast? I know she wants to get married eventually, but..."

"Mate, she's been waiting for this forever. Trust me," Harry said.

"How d'you know?" Ron asked.

"I heard her talking to Ginny one day about getting married," Harry said. "She said she really wanted you to get a move on."

Ron sighed. "I must be mental for thinking I could do this."

"You're not mental, mate," Harry said firmly. "D'you think I was nervous when I asked your sister to marry me?"

"No," Ron said automatically.

"Well I was. Now go out there and ask her."

Harry turned and led the way back to the dance floor. He grabbed Ginny and stole her to the dance floor, glancing at Ron and giving him a _do- it- now_ look. Ron looked around the room and spotted Hermione sitting at an empty table. She caught his eye and smiled at him, that smile that made his stomach drop several floors. He strode over to her and held out a hand for her to take. "Come and dance," he said, just as he had said almost four years ago at his brother's wedding. She took his hand and he led her out to the middle of the dance floor, not far from where he knew Harry was watching.

Ron was silent for a few seconds, then he looked at Hermione. "Hermione."

She had been staring into space, but her attention came back to him when he said her name.

"Right, I'm not quite sure how to do this so I'm just going to do it," Ron said. He got down on one knee in the middle of the floor and held out the ring to her. "Will you marry me?"

Hermione's hands flew to her mouth and she started to cry. She frantically nodded, and Ron got to his feet again. She flung her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, might I introduce the newly engaged couple, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger!"

Harry's booming voice rang throughout the room; Ron and Hermione's heads swung around to see him on the stage he had stood on to make his speech a few hours ago, his wand to his throat. He was grinning at them and they grinned back. The crowd started to applaud and Ron leaned in to kiss Hermione.

_She had said yes._


	34. Jealousy

It was a month after Ron had proposed, and both Hermione and Mrs. Weasley were mad with preparations. Ron and Harry had started their Auror careers, and many times, Ron had to go on a mission for more than two days. Death Eaters were recruiting against them, and many had already attacked several parts of both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds.

Bill and Fleur had had their second child, another girl they named Dominique. Everyone had made it to the hospital, even Harry and Ron, who both were on a mission at the time, were able to make it.

Percy and Audrey announced they were pregnant with their first child. Ron was happy for them, knowing that he was going to be an uncle for the third time.

Neville Longbottom had married Hannah Abbott a week after Harry and Ginny's wedding. Ron never knew Hannah all too well, but he and Hermione attended the wedding for Neville anyway.

Now, Hermione was driving him mad with preparations, and questions like "should we do this?" and "how do you like this for…?" Frankly, Ron didn't care about the decorations and colors as long as they were perfectly normal. He always knew blokes didn't care about those sorts of things.

One day, she forced him to stay home from going to play Quidditch with Harry and his brothers to go over the invitation list.

"C'mon, Hermione, can't we do it later?" he had said when she had pulled him away from Harry.

"No, we cannot do it later, because I know at that point you'll ask me if we can do it later _again_."

_She's good, _the annoying voice in his head told him, which he promptly ignored.

Now they were both sitting on the sofa in their flat, Hermione with a quill and parchment, both thinking of people to invite.

Hermione already had a list of people she wanted to invite and was reading them off to Ron.

"...right, so how about Seamus Finnigan?"

"'Course, he'll be the life of the party."

"It's not a _party_, Ron, it's our wedding. Dean Thomas?"

"Naturally."

"the Patil twins?"

"Sure."

"McGonagall?"

"Right."

"Viktor Krum?"

"WHAT?" Ron leapt to his feet, his face turning red with rage. "You still have contact with him?"

Hermione seemed to know he was going to react this way. "Ron, he's a good friend! Why are you always like this when I bring him up?" She stood up and turned her back on him, staring out the window with her arms crossed.

"Fine, if you want to play it that way, I'm going to invite Lavender Brown!" Ron regretted saying it, especially after seeing Hermione's face after she turned around. Her eyes had widened and her mouth fell open with disbelief.

"This isn't a _competition_, Ron! It's our _wedding_!" Hermione's eyes were shining with tears, and Ron tried to ignore them.

"When was the last time you even _spoke_ to Lavender Brown?" Hermione asked aggressively.

"That's none of your business!" Ron shot back.

"You _haven't_ had any contact, have you?" Hermione shouted.

"Yeah, I have!" Ron lied.

"Do what you want, Ron!" Hermione said, clearly disbelieving him. "But I'm still inviting Viktor. I'm not going to be afraid of inviting friends because of _your _jealousy!" She stormed out of the room and left Ron to deal with his swirling emotions.

The anger that had burst out of him he had no control over, it just automatically happened. He hated that he was so jealous all the time, but he was so frightened of losing Hermione, sometimes his anger came out at her. It also didn't help that she was in contact with Viktor Krum, a much more better and impressive man that Ron knew he could never be. He vented his feelings by kicking a nearby armchair, which left a good-sized bruise on his foot in the process. He left the room and walked toward the bedroom he shared with Hermione, only to find it locked. He sighed and turned back toward the living room. He knew the sofa was his bed for the night.

* * *

Ron woke the next morning, feeling regretful and remorseful of his row with Hermione. He could hear her banging the pots and pans in the kitchen furiously; clearly she was still full of rage.

Ron got up with difficulty; his back was aching from his night of tossing and turning on their uncomfortable sofa. He left a note for Hermione and headed to Harry and Ginny's flat.

* * *

Hermione had heard him wake up, but she was still too furious with him. After hearing the door slam in their entryway, she knew Ron had gone over to Harry and Ginny's flat to sulk and undoubtfully, complain.

She put away the pot she was holding, making quite sure to slam the cabinet door, and entered the living room. A note was left on the coffee table next to the sofa Ron had obviously slept on. A single blue rose lay next to the note and as Hermione looked closer, she saw that the rose was in fact, glittering with sparks of all different colors. She picked up the note and read:

_My brilliant Hermione,_

_I've gone to Harry and Ginny's, just in case you're still furious at me for being the biggest git on earth…again. _

_For our little row yesterday, I'm really sorry. I only act like that because I could never handle it if I lost you to someone who is a so much better person than me, which I know Viktor Krum is. And, I'm also a bloody prat, and bloody prats have no control over their jealousy. _

_I'm sorry for everything, love, and I hope you decide the wedding is still on._

_I love you,_

_Your git of a husband-to-be_

Hermione couldn't help but to smile at the letter. She had trained herself over the years not to laugh at Ron's immature and sometimes crude jokes, but she always seemed to crack a smile when she knew no one was looking.

She sighed and ran to the closet to retrieve her coat…

* * *

Ron had Disapparated to Ginny and Harry's, glad to see that Harry was the only one occupying the flat at the moment, as Ginny had gone out shopping with her mother.

He had told Harry all about what had happened between him and Hermione.

"I don't get it, Harry. Why am I like this?" Ron asked wearily. "_You're_ not a jealous git with Ginny."

"Yeah, I am," Harry confessed. "But I don't show it. You wear your heart on your sleeve, mate."

Ron heaved a sigh. "I just wish I could be what she wants."

"Are you mad?" Harry was staring at him with disbelief. "You _are_ everything Hermione wants! She doesn't want some famous bloke for a husband, she wants you! D'you think she would be marrying you if she didn't?"

Ron stared at him, and they were both quiet. However, a third voice interrupted the silence, causing Ron and Harry to jump.

"He's right."

Ron and Harry turned to see Hermione in the doorway. "I don't want Viktor Krum, Ron. I don't need someone rich and famous to make me happy. I need someone who I love and who loves me back. Fortunately, I found that person when I was eleven."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "Harry?" he said teasingly.

To his surprise, Hermione approached him and punched him, hard, on the arm.

"Ow! What did I do now?"

"How can you say that?" Hermione asked exasperatedly. "You know I've never fancied Harry, it's always been you!"

Ron gaped at her and Hermione breathed heavily, maddened with frustration. Harry looked back and forth between them, and then said, "I fancy a cup of tea." He got up and went into the other room, but Ron and Hermione barely took notice.

"Hermione, it was a joke!"

Ignoring Ron, Hermione continued her rant. "You've no idea how maddening it is to be with you! You're a narrow, ignorant, stubborn _git, _but at the same time…" Hermione sighed. "At the same time, you're protective, loving and brilliant, and I can't help from falling in love with you."

Ron stared at her and after a moment's silence he decided to counter her rant, for old time's sake.

"You think _I'm_ confusing?" Ron asked her. He stood up and towered over her as always, but she didn't even flinch.

"I will _never_ be able to keep up with you, Hermione. One minute you're happy, and the next, I've done something wrong and you've stormed off. You're bloody confusing and the most irritating person I've ever met, but you're the only girl I would ever want."

Hermione turned back to him, for she had turned her back on him when he had started talking. Her jaw was clenched and she looked as if she was fighting down her emotions.

"So why are we fighting?" she finally asked.

Ron shook his head. "All I know is that we drive each other mad, but we always make up in the end." He raised his eyebrows, expecting Hermione to fall into his arms and tell him she loved him.

Hermione raised an eyebrow back at him and started to walk away from him. Ron caught her arm and turned her back around. "C'mon, Hermione, didn't you read my note?"

"Yes, I did," Hermione said, as if it meant nothing.

"Then don't you know that I'm sorry?" Ron asked exasperatedly.

"Ron, I want you to apologize to me in _person_," Hermione said. "I need to know that you mean it."

"I _am_ sorry!" Ron exclaimed. "I'm sorry for everything I've ever done to you! I don't like being jealous of other people, it's just how I am!" He sighed and apprehensively took Hermione into his arms.

"I wish I could change for you, and you know I would. But it's this protective thing I have with you. I'm terrified of losing you because…well…I need you. I want you."

Hermione looked, for the first time, as if Ron had broken through her shield of stony pride. Her eyes showed that she desperately wanted to forgive him.

"Ron, you need to know something," Hermione said. "The game of life is not a competition between you and Viktor Krum, or someone else you feel threatened by. I am not a prize that you're trying to win."

"I know, God, I know that now," Ron said. "I'm sorry."

"I know," Hermione said. She smiled for the first time in hours, and Ron thought there was nothing better. She kissed him deeply on his lips before Harry came back into the room. He looked at his two friends snogging, shrugged, sat down on the sofa, and turned on the television.

Just another day.


	35. Memories

Ron's life was becoming more hectic due to the planning of his wedding. He and Hermione had decided that they were to be married at Hogwarts, where they both, for the most part, had been happiest.

Percy and Audrey had had their child: a girl named Molly, after the Weasley mother. Mrs. Weasley was honored, and cried when her son told her they had named their child after her.

George and Angelina were pregnant with their first child. By now, Ron felt like he was an expert uncle.

Luna Lovegood and her boyfriend Rolf were engaged. They were due to be married three months after Ron and Hermione, right after they came home from their honeymoon in France.

The day of Ron and Hermione's wedding was approaching quickly. Hermione and Mrs. Weasley were now more irritable more than ever, which made Ron slightly glad to be rid of them when he was told he had to go on a two-day mission with Harry.

The Patronus of Kinsley Shacklebolt had made its way into Ron and Hermione's flat at two in the afternoon. Hermione had been in the kitchen, talking rapidly with Mrs. Weasley about the wedding invitations. Ron had been in the living room with Harry and Neville, listening to the Chudley Cannons' game on the wireless. The Patronus had come flying in the window, startling everyone. The silver, vapory lynx spoke to Ron and Harry:

"_Death Eaters have attacked London. Need backup."_

The lynx evaporated and Hermione's eyes had drifted onto Ron and Harry. Ron shot off the sofa and approached Hermione.

"I want to come with," Hermione had said.

Ron had immediately denied her. "No," he said flatly, "No way am I letting you come with. You're not even an Auror."

Hermione hadn't argued with him after that, and Ron suspected because he had spoke the truth when he had said she wasn't an Auror. She had fallen into his arms and squeezed the life out of him, and Ron hoped this wasn't the last time he was going to see her. He kissed her deeply before letting go of her reluctantly. He kissed and hugged his mother while Hermione said goodbye to Harry. He embraced Hermione one last time and kissed her head before Harry tugged him away. Before he knew it, he had Disapparated with Harry into London.

Now, he was hexing every Death Eater in sight with Harry fighting behind him. The streets of downtown London were in absolute chaos. Death Eaters were everywhere. The innocent people who had simply come to London to shop for a few necessities were being cursed, tortured, and killed. In front of Ron's eyes, the Muggle and wizarding world were being ripped apart…again.

Now back to back with Harry, Ron heard his best friend's voice over the crackling of the hexes coming out of the numerous wands.

"Oi, mate!" Harry yelled before Stupefying a Death Eater.

"What?" Ron asked, kicking another aside and Stunning him.

"D'you think after we defeat these people we could get a drink at the pub?"

Ron laughed; he knew Harry was, by now, so used to fighting Death Eaters that they could have a perfectly normal conversation in the middle of a battle.

"I'm getting married, mate!" Ron yelled. "Hermione would kill me if I came home late, especially after a battle!"

Harry laughed while jinxing another Death Eater.

The battle continued, and Ron and Harry fought for everything: their lives, their worlds, and their girls...

* * *

Harry entered Ron and Hermione's flat late that night to find Neville, Hermione, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley all still there waiting for him. When Hermione saw him lugging Ron over his shoulder, she immediately got up from her place on the sofa to help.

Ron was unconscious, his face grimy and his robes dirty with dust. Hermione and Harry worked together to carry him to the sofa. They gently set him down and Hermione swooped down on her knees to examine his face.

"What happened?" Mrs. Weasley asked Harry softly. Hermione jumped. She had completely forgotten of the others' presence.

"I don't know," Harry said honestly. "I turned my back for five seconds and I found him like this in the middle of the battle. He was still breathing and I tried every countercurse I could think of to wake him up, but…" he trailed off and gestured to Ron in a helpless manner.

Hermione placed her hand on Ron's chest; it was still rising steadily. A wave of relief hit Hermione and made her whole body go weak. He was still alive.

"I think we should take him to St. Mungo's, just in case," Hermione said.

Harry nodded and together, they lifted Ron off the sofa…

* * *

Ron woke in an unfamiliar room. He had absolutely no idea how he had gotten there or what had happened the last time he was awake. The strangest thing was that a young woman with bushy brown hair sat on the side of his bed, squeezing his hand. He could not recall ever seeing the girl before, but somehow, he knew she was in his memory somewhere…

The girl jumped upon seeing that he was awake. She swooped down upon him and hugged him tightly. "Ron! I'm so glad you're alright!"

Ron. That seemed to be the only thing he could remember, his own name. He knew he was Ron Weasley and that was all.

The girl was still clinging to him and he wasn't sure how to react. "Er – who are you?"

The woman quickly let go and looked into his eyes. He knew those eyes. He had seen those eyes before…

"Ron, it's me," the girl said. "D'you – d'you not remember me?"

Ron shook his head, simply overwhelmed with this whole situation. The girl's eyes widened and she sat up facing him again. "Ron, it's me, it's Hermione. We've been best friends for over ten years."

Ron racked his brains, trying to find some sort of reference to her name. Hermione. He liked the name.

The woman named Hermione got up and told him she would be right back, before leaving the room. Ron watched her go. From where he sat in his bed, he could see Hermione and another man he could not recognize outside the open door.

"What's wrong with him?" Ron heard the girl named Hermione ask the man. "He can't remember anything!"

"Miss Granger, the spell that hit him was a Memory Charm. It seemed to wipe his memory clean and Stupefied him at the same time. It was Dark Magic, and we had trouble finding out what it was at first."

The young woman seemed to have trouble comprehending what the man had just said. "So what does that mean…is he ever going to have his memory back?"

"It will come back to him in time," the man said. "We have yet to find a counterjinx to fix a Memory Charm this powerful. There's only one way to cure Mr. Weasley.

"You'll need to surround him with familiar things. For a curse this potent, it usually takes up to three months for him to get his memory back."

The girl named Hermione had sank into a nearby chair and started sobbing into her hands. "We – we were going to be married in a months' time!" she cried. "How is he going to marry me if he doesn't know who I am?"

Ron gaped. He was planning to get married? He wished he could remember his life...

As he watched the girl sob, another man, this one very dark-haired with glasses, came into view and embraced the woman. "What's wrong with him?" the man asked Hermione.

"He can't remember anything! His entire memory has been wiped blank and they say it won't come back to him in three months!"

The man's eyes widened and Ron noticed how green they were. A feeling of familiarity stirred in the back of his mind…

The two men led the sobbing girl named Hermione away from the room. Ron lay back down and turned his back to the door. He didn't feel at all tired, for his mind had gone into hyper speed, struggling to remember who these people were…

* * *

Ron woke again to soft whispers he heard directly next to him. He opened his eyes to see the girl he had learned to be named Hermione talking quietly with the dark-haired man. They both looked at him anxiously, upon seeing him awake.

The woman named Hermione got up from her seat a few feet away and kneeled at his bedside. "Ron, d'you – d'you know who you are?"

Ron frowned at this question. "Er – Ron Weasley."

The girl nodded. "Ron, I'm Hermione, and – " she got up once again and pulled the dark-haired man to his feet, who had been sitting in the corner. "This is Harry, Ron. We've all been best friends for almost eleven years. D'you remember any of this?"

Ron once again racked his brains and slowly shook his head, unable to remember the Hermione girl or the man named Harry. Hermione looked deeply disappointed, and Ron wished he could tell her he remembered her.

Ron couldn't stop staring into the girl Hermione's eyes. They were a very familiar brown shade…He felt like he was safe just by staring into her eyes…They were both so oddly familiar...

"I'm sorry, I can't remember," Ron said. "I wish I could."

Ron hung his head in shame. He watched Hermione and Harry leave and wondered if he would ever remember them.

* * *

Ron stayed in the hospital for a week, the familiarity floating vaguely in and out of his brain. Harry and Hermione came in to visit him every day, and his feeling of recognization grew stronger every time he saw them. Another group of people came into his room regularly also. Two of them said they were his parents, and a large amount of people claimed to be his siblings. These people hung hazily in his mind, but Harry and Hermione, due to the familiarity he felt around them, were the two people he felt safest with.

One day, Ron woke up in the hospital again and saw Hermione's eyes staring back at him like always, Harry at her side. And suddenly, everything was coming back to him. Harry and Hermione were his best friends…they had saved each other's lives on numerous occasions…he had grown up with six siblings…and he was marrying Hermione in a month…

"Harry, Hermione, I - I remember!" he exclaimed.

Harry and Hermione beamed, and Ron finally felt like he knew who he was.


	36. Disruption

The day of Ron and Hermione's wedding had finally arrived. Ron and Hermione had held the rehearsal dinner at the Burrow along with the rest of their families.

Hermione sat up in bed. It had just hit her that she was marrying Ron today. She looked over at Ron, who was asleep next to her and smiled. She was marrying the biggest git in the world and she loved it.

She placed a gentle kiss on her favorite freckle on Ron's face (the small one on the corner of his mouth) before getting up. She was sharing Ron's old room with him until they were to travel to Hogwarts for the wedding.

Hermione looked over at a nearby clock: six o'clock. She had an hour before the others would wake up. They were all due at Hogwarts at ten o' clock, when the wedding started.

She quickly got dressed, and then got out _Hogwarts, a History_. Despite the fact that it was her favorite book, she hadn't read it since she had been running from Voldemort with Harry and Ron.

She retreated back to Ron's old bed and sat up reading for an hour. At seven o'clock, she heard voices as others in the house started to stir. She closed her book and tried to shake Ron awake.

Ron groaned. "C'mon love, five more minutes."

"Ron, everyone else is up and we have to be at Hogwarts in an hour," Hermione said, still shaking him. "If you've forgotten, we're getting married at ten o'clock, Ronald Weasley."

At this, Ron's eyes flew open. "We are, aren't we?"

Hermione scoffed and sat up, suddenly furious with him that he would forget. She crossed her arms and turned her back to him, walking to the farthest end of the room away from him.

Ron sighed and got up. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and his voice in her ear. "Hermione, I'm sorry. I just forgot for a few minutes, that's all. You know I would never _really_ forget our wedding day."

Hermione rolled her eyes and wiggled from his grip. "Alright. Look, all the girls and I are going to get to Hogwarts first, so _you_ boys don't know where we're dressing."

Ron grinned. "Don't worry; I'll have Neville follow you."

Hermione gave him a deadly warning look, and Ron put his arms up in surrender. "I'm joking. So who's coming with you?"

"Ginny, Luna, my mother, your mother, possibly Fleur –"

Hermione was cut off when Ron's lips met hers. When they broke apart, Hermione raised her eyebrows in a challenge. "Were you getting bored?"

"Profoundly," Ron grinned. "I can tell you're stressed though. _Please _don't act like you need to talk with everyone today, Hermione, because you don't."

Hermione's eyes widened. How did he know she was stressing about that? "But Ron, they all are here for us, I think I'll need to get around to everyone –"

Ron's hands found her shoulders. "Hermione, I don't care. This isn't a family reunion, it's our _wedding_." He raised his eyebrows at her, and Hermione's eyes didn't leave his.

She sighed and looked away. "Alright, fine. I guess that makes more since than how I picture weddings."

Ron grinned and kissed her again. Hermione smiled. "Alright, I'm going to see if everyone is ready, and I'll see you at Hogwarts."

Clearly unable to help himself, Ron swooped in and kissed her again. Hermione breathed in his scent as she hugged him and left with her trunk.

The corridors of the Burrow were chaos. Mrs. Weasley was striding up and down the halls, banging on everyone's doors. She was just about to knock on Ron's when Hermione surfaced from his room.

"Oh! Hermione dear, are you ready to go?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "Where's Ginny?"

"She's in the kitchen, dear. You'll have to grab something quick to eat so we can get to Hogwarts."

Hermione nodded and climbed down the many sets of stairs…

Two and a half hours later, Hermione found herself in the Room of Requirement, a beautiful white dress flowing around her. Ginny had done a spell with Hermione's hair to make it more curly than frizzy. She then had pulled Hermione's hair up in a high plait and stuck roses into the elaborate curls. Hermione had never looked better.

"Well," Ginny proclaimed, "I think I have really outdone myself."

Hermione smiled and Ginny in the enormous mirror she stood in front of. "Thank you, Ginny. Modest, aren't you?"

Ginny grinned and pulled Hermione's arm. "C'mon, we should get ready to line up. You're marrying my brother in exactly –" Ginny checked her watch "- ten minutes."

Hermione couldn't help but smile. _She was marrying Ron._ She couldn't believe that the boy she had met twelve years ago, who had teased her, fought with her, laughed with her, cried with her, and drove her mad, was actually marrying her today.

Ginny shook her from her reverie by tugging on her arm again. "C'mon, Hermione, you want to marry Ron, don't you?"

Hermione nodded, but was silent as she grabbed the roses she would hold down the aisle off the dresser. She was much too happy to speak.

Ginny led Hermione down to the giant doors that led into the Hogwarts grounds. They were closed, and Hermione knew that behind the doors were dozens of people waiting to watch her get married, but more importantly, Ron was behind these doors, waiting to start their lives together.

Hermione and Ginny lined up behind Luna, who shot a genuine smile at Hermione, who grinned back.

The doors opened and Hermione saw Ron at the very end of the aisle standing next to Harry, grinning like an idiot. Hermione smiled back and grabbed his hand when she was close enough.

The preacher began the usual things preachers say at weddings, but Hermione barely heard. She kept her eyes straight ahead, but she felt Ron's eyes staring at her. She loved it when he stared at her when he thought she wasn't looking. It always seemed to be a constant game she liked to play.

From a distance, Hermione heard the preacher ask Ron, "Do you take this woman to be your wife, in sickness and in health, through life and death, to the end of time?"

But before Ron could as much as open his mouth, there were several pops behind them, and many people let out gasps of horror. Hermione closed her eyes, dreading what she was going to see when she turned around…

She spun around and was suddenly face to face with Lucius Malfoy and a number of other Death Eaters. She instinctively drew her wand, and she watched as Ron and Harry did the same, both sidestepping to stand in front of her.

Lucius Malfoy sneered. "So sorry to interrupt what seems like a _very_ important wedding – a blood-traitor and a Mudblood? How interesting…"

Ron was shaking with rage in front of her. She understood how upset he got when others called her a Mudblood. "What d'you want, Malfoy? Haven't you gotten enough satisfaction torturing us five years ago?" he snapped, his wand shaking as it stayed pointed at Malfoy.

"Obviously not," Malfoy said coldly. "I've just decided to round up a few old friends and finish what the Dark Lord started."

Before Ron and Harry could react, Malfoy sent a nonverbal jet of green light at Hermione, who jumped out of the way just in time. Hermione felt her blood boil with twelve years' worth of hatred toward the Malfoy family. He had interrupted her wedding, the one day she had waited for her whole life…and now Lucius Malfoy planned to kill them all…

Seething, Hermione pushed past Ron and Harry and shouted for the first time in her life, "_Crucio!_"

Lucius Malfoy fell to the ground, screaming in pain and torture. At this, as if on cue, the Death Eaters behind him started sending lethal spells everywhere, and the crowd who had come to attend the wedding started screaming and fleeing the Hogwarts grounds.

Hermione, who was still stunned that she had cast the Cruciatus Curse, was shook from her reverie by Ron tugging on her arm. "Hermione, c'mon, we need to get you out of here!"

Hermione wiggled out of Ron's grip and suddenly felt like she had gone demented. She started to send the Cruciatus Curse at any Death Eater in sight. With every cast of the curse, she spoke through gritted teeth, "You think – you're going to come back – to my wedding after five years – and try – to kill us all –"

She knew she wasn't making much sense, but at the moment, she could care less. Everyone else seemed to be putting up fights around her, and before long, it seemed like a battle had broken out for the first time in five years.

She finally felt a hand close around her arm, and she turned with her wand pointed, expecting a Death Eater. Instead, she found herself face to face with Ron. "Hermione, you're going to get yourself killed! C'mon, you need to get out of here!"

"No Ron!" Hermione tried to escape Ron's grip, but his fingers simply tightened around her arm. Before she could stop him, he had Disapparated with her at his side.

She found herself in the Burrow, where there were no Death Eaters and no havoc. She pushed away from Ron, furious that he wouldn't let her fight. Despite her mood, she asked, "How did we get out of there? You can't Disapparate out of Hogwarts grounds."

Ron shrugged. "I don't know, I just tried it because it was the first thing I thought of. Maybe there are exceptions."

Hermione scoffed at how idiotic that sounded, and started to get ready to Disapparate again. "I'm going back."

"Oh, no you're not!" Ron said. "There's no way I'm letting you fight!"

"You're not my parents, Ron!" Hermione shot back.

"Maybe not," Ron started, "but I love you, and I will never forgive myself if you were killed because I let you fight!"

"Ron," Hermione's voice was a bit softer. "When you decided to propose to me, you knew what you were getting into. You know I'm not a girl who's going to stay home and knit and wait for her husband to come home like a good housewife. I'm always going to be right next to you." Hermione stood her on her toes to speak into his ear. "Because I do. I do take you to be my husband."

Ron's face lit up, then became serious again. "And I take you to be my wife. And a good husband always protects his wife. Hermione, I'm only thinking of you."

Hermione sighed, finally exhausted enough from arguing, to compromise. "Alright, what if you let me fight, and we just look out for each other?"

Ron looked as if he was debating in his head. Finally, he sighed. "Alright, fine. But if you get a scratch, just a scratch, you're coming straight home."

Hermione grinned and kissed him full on the mouth. Time to fight.


	37. Rebuilding a Wedding

Ron Weasley's wedding to Hermione Granger had been ruined. Once the battle was over, there were two dead Death Eaters, but everyone who had attended the wedding had thankfully survived.

Hermione was livid. Ron didn't bother to try to calm her down. After twelve years of knowing her, he knew better than to try to calm Hermione Granger down when she was far past angry. Ron could still hear her voice ringing across the Hogwarts grounds while they were trying to clean up…

"_THEY THINK THEY CAN BARGE IN AND _ATTACK _MY WEDDING?" Hermione had ranted as she kicked an overturned chair to the side. The flowers Ginny had placed in her hair only hours before were drooping and were in the danger of falling out. Hermione's beautiful dress was ripped in three places, due to a few spells she had failed to dodge. Other than this, she was completely unharmed. However, she kept screaming. _

"_IT WAS OVER FIVE YEARS AGO, AND NOW THEY THINK THEY CAN COME BACK?" Hermione had then trailed off into jumbled up words then crumbled to the ground and was reduced to sobs._

_Ron had rushed to her side and comforted her and told her that no matter what he was going to get them married. _

"_But what if it's a sign?" Hermione had said worriedly. "What if we're not meant to be together?"_

_Ron had considered this and had looked at her hard, and a little hurt. "Hermione, I love you more than anything. The question is, do you love me?"_

"_More than life," Hermione had said, cupping his face in her hand. _

"_Then I don't see why we're not meant to be together," Ron had proclaimed._

_They had furthermore decided that since two Death Eaters were dead and that the rest had fled, they could still have the wedding. _

_So they started from scratch. The guests who had stayed to fight sat down again, looking exhausted. Ron stood at the front with Harry, who had scorch marks in numerous places. _

_Hermione had started down the aisle again, after Ginny of course. She was tired, but she decided to be happy. She didn't care what she looked like or how the wedding looked anymore. The only thing that mattered was that she was marrying Ron Weasley._

_They still had the reception later. Ron and Hermione danced all night, and Hermione tried to keep all her attention on Ron the whole night, just as she had promised. _

_At one point, however, Harry cut in, and Ron reluctantly let Hermione go. Harry guided Hermione across the dance floor, and away from Ron._

"_This has been a very interesting wedding day," Harry had said jokingly. Hermione gave a halfhearted smile. _

"_Hey," Harry had said, catching her eye and holding her gaze. "You can't expect a wedding to go perfect. Everyone dreams of their perfect wedding, Hermione, but there's always something that goes wrong."_

"_Really?" Hermione had challenged, raising an eyebrow. "What went wrong at your wedding, Harry?"_

"_Now that you mention it, I do remember Ginny having kittens because she didn't think her dress fit her properly," Harry said. Hermione scoffed._

"_Oh, come on," Harry said. "So it wasn't the perfect wedding. But isn't it more important that you're with Ron now?"_

_Hermione had glanced at Ron, who was dancing with four-year-old Victoire. She smiled, thinking of everything they had been through together. She caught Ron's eye, and he flashed her that smile she loved and winked at her._

_She turned back to Harry, who had been watching them with mild interest. "Yes, it is." _

Ron was forced back into reality when he felt his wife stir next to him. They were both in bed, and Hermione was in Ron's arms, apparently restless with a nightmare. Ron heard her mumble in her sleep, "No…not Ron…"

Ron shook her awake. "Hermione, it's alright, I'm right here."

Hermione's eyes turned and locked on his. She flew into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Don't leave me," she whispered into his chest.

"What? Why would I leave you?" Ron asked, his arms encircling her body.

"Just don't," Hermione said more forcefully.

Ron hesitated, and decided not to push the subject. Whatever Hermione had dreamed must've been really bad. "I won't," he promised solemnly.


	38. Thinking of Children

It was five and a half years after the defeat of Voldemort, and Ron Weasley burst through the doors of St. Mungo's. George's Patronus had just appeared in his flat, announcing Angelina was having their baby.

"Angelina Weasley?" Ron asked the receptionist. The blonde witch pointed down the hall. "Room two three five."

Ron nodded and followed her directions. He found Angelina's room and opened the door. Angelina was in the bed, clutching her round belly and breathing heavily. George was sitting by her side, and looked up as Ron entered the room.

"How's she doing?" Ron asked.

"Just contractions," George said, smiling slightly. Angelina, however, shot him a death glare.

"_Just_ contractions?" she burst out. "How about _you_ try giving birth sometime?"

"I think that's my cue to leave," Ron said. "Where's the rest of the family?"

"Waiting room down the hall," George said, cowering under the look Angelina was giving him.

Ron left the room and followed the hall to find the waiting room filled with Weasleys. Bill and Fleur were in the corner with four-year-old Victoire and two-year-old Dominique. Just three months ago, Fleur had announced she was pregnant with their third child.

Charlie was regretfully in Romania, and was unable to attend the arrival of his newest nephew.

Percy and Audrey were sitting next to Bill, ten-month-old Molly in Percy's arms. Harry and Ginny were sitting next to the couple. Harry was reading a copy of the _Daily Prophet _and Ginny was talking with Audrey, but Harry's attention kept drifting back to Ginny, as if he was expecting her to drop dead at any time. Ron knew why. Just a week ago, Harry and Ginny had announced they were pregnant with their first child. Ron knew Harry was making sure Ginny was comfortable and happy constantly.

With all his siblings having children, it made Ron think of having his own kids some day. He knew for a fact Hermione wanted children more than anything. They had never talked about it, but by the way Hermione looked at her nieces and nephews, Ron knew she really wanted her own.

Hermione was sitting next to Harry, speaking in a low voice to both him and Ginny. She had come to St. Mungo's earlier with her ability to get off of work early. Ron had stayed the whole day due to the fact that he had already taken a week off that month.

Ron approached her and sat down on her left side, kissing her head. "Hey beautiful."

Hermione turned and flashed her radiant smile. She was still the most beautiful thing in the world in Ron's mind. "Hi. When did you get off?"

"About fifteen minutes ago." Ron scooted closer to Hermione and wrapped his arm around her. He still couldn't believe he was married to Hermione. If anyone had told him he was going to marry Hermione Granger in his first year, he wouldn't have believed them.

An hour went by. Another shortly crawled by. Ron was getting restless, as well as the children. After a while, Fleur Flooed Victoire and Dominique to her parents' home in France, and Audrey took Molly to Andromeda Tonks' home, knowing that she would look after her. Both the women returned within ten minutes, not wanting to miss anything.

Ron soon found himself on a nearby sofa with a sleeping Hermione's head in his lap. He himself was drifting off as he checked a nearby clock: one o' clock in the morning. He began to stroke her hair that he loved to keep his mind off of what could be happening with George and Angelina…

He had a nightmare. He was caught in some dark portal that was slowly getting smaller…he couldn't breathe…

And as suddenly as he was getting squeezed, he was released. He was instantly placed in the middle of a black field, where the only other person he could see was Hermione. She was so close he could almost touch her…

And suddenly, she was writhing on the ground, obviously very much in pain. Ron tried to help her, but he suddenly couldn't move…then Bellatrix Lestrange came out of nowhere and started torturing Hermione more with the Cruciatus Curse…Ron was screaming out, begging her to stop…Bellatrix merely cackled at his feeble attempts to save Hermione…

Ron woke with a start and found Hermione's worried brown eyes staring into his. He looked around the waiting room and found the rest of his family staring back at him. Had he been screaming in his sleep?

"What happened?" Ron asked Hermione.

"You were talking in you sleep. You said…" she trailed off and blushed.

"You were yelling Hermione's name," Ginny said bluntly. After she said this, everyone in the room shifted uncomfortably and started talking amongst each other, leaving Ron and Hermione to talk to each other alone.

"What was it this time?" Hermione asked. She had gotten used to Ron having nightmares, especially since after the war. Both Ron and Hermione woke in the middle of the night often and confessed the dream was about the war.

"Just a repeat of Malfoy Manor," Ron said, not wanting to get into much detail.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "She's dead, Ron. She can't hurt you or me anymore."

"I know that!" Ron exclaimed, suddenly impatient. "I – I just –" He inhaled to calm himself, willing himself not to explode at Hermione. "I don't know why I keep having these dreams."

Hermione grabbed his hand a squeezed it. "You're having these dreams because you're worried about me. You may not know it, but in the back of your head, you can't stop thinking of that night."

Ron pursed his lips. He knew what Hermione had said was true. Before he could respond, however, George came down the hall, looking flustered.

"I have a son," he announced, looking exceptionally proud.

Everyone surrounded him and bombarded him with questions. Hermione shot Ron an encouraging look before leading him by the hand over to George.

"What are you going to name him?" Ginny asked. Every eye was on George, all knowing what he was going to say.

"Fred," George said after a deep breath. "It's the least I can do for…him."

Everyone smiled and thumped George on the back as they followed him down the hall into Angelina's room.


	39. Return of the Game

According to Harry, Ginny's pregnancy was coming along perfectly. Hermione saw Harry around work constantly, and every time she did, she asked how Ginny was. Harry always looked flustered, and Hermione knew that he was continually catering to Ginny's every whelm. However, he would respond every time, almost absently, "She's fine…doing great…"

Hermione would see Ginny occasionally, and every time she did, she knew Ginny's belly had gotten bigger than the last time she saw her.

Bill and Fleur had had their third child in the last few months, a boy named Louis. Victoire and Dominique were both thrilled to have a younger brother.

One night, Ron and Hermione had dinner plans with Harry and Ginny at a fancy, hidden Wizard restaurant overlooking the sea, with dancing and the works.

Hermione came hurrying into the living room, putting in her earrings in the process. She checked the clock nearby: ten to eight. They were supposed to meet Harry and Ginny at eight o' clock.

Hermione gave an exasperated sigh and called, "Ron, are you ready yet? We're going to be late!"

"I'm coming, love," Ron said. He froze at the sight of her, like he always seemed to do when Hermione dressed up for a special event.

"What?" Hermione asked worriedly, anxiously smoothing the high bun she had piled on top of her head.

"Nothing." Ron shook himself from his reverie. "You look beautiful." He flashed a sincere smile, and Hermione blushed. She was wearing a black dress that fell just past her knees and the beautiful charm bracelet Ron had given her for her twenty-second birthday.

She really loved the bracelet. It had a charm for each of the first seven years she knew Ron. A mini Sorcerer's Stone was for first year. For second, a small basilisk. Third, a cat and rat that resembled Crookshanks and Scabbers. Fourth, the horrid dress robes Ron wore to the Yule Ball. For fifth year, a small _D.A._ to represent Dumbledore's Army. Sixth, a small broken heart to show how much they both were heartbroken when they learned the other liked someone else. For the final year, the last charm was a small _R&H_ to represent that they were finally together after seven long years.

Hermione looked up from her bracelet to take in the sight of Ron. He was wearing navy blue robes with a sky blue tie that matched his eyes perfectly. She loved his blue eyes.

"Ready?" Ron asked uncertainly. Hermione shook herself from her reverie and nodded. She took his arm and together, they Disapparated to the restaurant.

At the restaurant, Ron told the hostess they were meeting Mr. and Mrs. Potter. The hostess led them into a room where thirty or so tables surrounded a huge dance floor. All the tables were covered in white cloths, and a candle sat on each table. Hermione recognized Harry and Ginny sitting at a table over by the dance floor. They waved to Ron and Hermione as the two approached.

Harry looked more tired than ever, but happy to see his best friends. Ginny had a very prominent bump, already five months along. Hermione hugged her best friends and they all sat down and ordered.

The four talked about a lot of things. Work, their family, Harry and Ginny's baby along the way…and somehow, they came on the subject of names.

"So, what do you think you're going to name the baby?" Hermione asked, finishing her treacle tart.

"Well, it will be James or Lily, depending on the gender," Harry answered right away.

"Harry, don't you think we should consider some other names before we decide on your parents' names?" Ginny asked.

"No," Harry said firmly. "I want my parents' names to live on."

Ginny pursed her lips, and Hermione hastily tugged on Ron's arm as she saw Ginny's face slowly turn red with anger.

"Ron, come and dance," Hermione said, shooting Ron a deadly look. Ron caught on and followed her to the dance floor, both wanting to avoid the argument that was about to take place between Harry and Ginny.

Once in the center of the floor, Hermione wrapped her arms around Ron's neck and Ron wrapped his around her waist. Awkwardness was no longer a problem with the two, and they found the feel of the music in the matter of seconds.

"I had to get us out of there," Hermione said. "We don't need to be witnesses if a murder takes place."

Ron smiled at her joke. "Oi, do you remember that questions game we used to play?"

Hermione laughed. "If I remember correctly, that game usually ends in disaster."

"C'mon, let's play a few rounds, then," Ron said, flashing the lovely smile she had fallen in love with over half a decade ago.

"Alright, then," Hermione said. "You start."

"Alright," Ron said, thinking. "Did you know that most of the time, I'm looking for you when we're apart?"

Hermione gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Ron paused and looked around to make sure no one was listening. "When I don't know exactly where you are, say at work for instance, I'm constantly bothering others and asking if they've seen you."

Hermione wasn't quite sure why Ron was telling her this, but that was the magic of their game. Either way, she was touched that Ron cared so much for her.

"Ron, I didn't know you –" she was cut off as Ron kissed her, and tightened his grip around her waist.

When they broke apart, Ron said, his face still close to Hermione's, "Just don't leave me. I know you have a lot of reasons to, most of the time, but I don't think I could survive if you weren't in my life…"

"Ron, why would I leave?" Hermione asked, shocked that he would say this. "You're talking to the person who cried for a week when _you_ left. Do you really think I want you out of my life?"

"Guess not," Ron mumbled. "You're – you're just the best thing that's happened to me, and I'm afraid if I enjoy it too long, I'll wake up one morning and you'll be gone." He swept a strand of loose hair hanging in Hermione's face and tucked it behind her ear. "You really are beautiful, you know that?"

Hermione blushed. "I'm not going anywhere, Ron. I'm staying with you. I promised you that when I married you." She smiled and tightened her hold around Ron's neck.

"It's your turn," Ron said suddenly.

Hermione jumped; she almost forgot they still were playing.

"Alright…did you know my favorite color is the color of your eyes?"

Ron's ears turned red and Hermione laughed. It was true, though. Even before she had fallen for Ron, she had always loved the color of his eyes.

"Why, though?" Ron asked, his face getting redder by the moment.

"Because your eyes are more than blue," Hermione said. "I can see more than just a color in your eyes. They tell me things without you speaking."

"Great that you can see right through to me," Ron joked, a grin forming on his face.

Hermione laughed. "Your turn."

Ron pulled her in closer so she was now in his arms, her head on his chest. "Did you know I love you?" he whispered in her ear.

Hermione nodded. "Did you know I love you?" she mumbled back.

"I know it now," Ron said, placing a kiss on her head.


	40. Overworked

Ron found himself watching Hermione more and more. As the Christmas season arrived, she didn't seem like herself anymore, and he was worried. She was overworked and stressed out, just like she was in third year. She didn't pay any attention to anyone else anymore, and when Ron tried to help, she snapped at him to leave her alone.

One day, Hermione stayed at the Ministry after Ron had left to work overtime. This had been happening for the past few months. Hermione was trying to free as many house-elves she could before she left the world.

Ron came home to an empty flat and sighed. He made dinner for and ate by himself, then waited up for Hermione.

At ten o' clock, Hermione still hadn't shown up, and Ron began to panic. He and Hermione usually came home at five o' clock, and Hermione was four hours late.

Ron and Hermione still lived near Harry and Ginny, so on his way out of the flat, Ron stopped by their place to ask if they had seen Hermione.

Harry answered the door and told Ron that he hadn't seen Hermione since lunch that day.

"D'you need us to help you find her?" Ginny asked frantically.

"No, I'll send you a Patronus if I need any help," Ron said as he left to check the Ministry. He had a sneaking suspicion he would find Hermione there.

Ron Apparated to the Ministry and made his way to Hermione's office.

There she was.

Hermione was asleep on her desk; the over exhaustion had finally gotten to her. Her head was rested on the many documents she had been working on and her hair hid half of her face. Ron smiled at the sight, and approached her to shake her awake.

"Hermione, c'mon, you need to go home."

Hermione woke with a start and started frantically babbling about work. "What? Ron, no, I have to sign all these papers, and I have a deadline on Friday, I can't possibly –"

"Hermione," Ron said sternly. "You'll have plenty of time to work later. You've been overworking yourself, and right now, I need you to _sleep._"

"Just a moment…" Hermione said absently before trailing off while signing one of the papers.

"Hermione –"

"Ron, I'll be with you in a moment!" Hermione snapped angrily, her eyes still on the parchment.

_I'll be with you in a moment?_ Ron thought. _What am I, her client?_

"Hermione, I'm really sorry for this," Ron said while taking out his wand.

"What - ? ARGH!"

Before she could ask what he was sorry for, Hermione was hanging upside down in the air as if an invisible hook had pulled her up by the ankle. Her wand fell from her pocket, and Ron hastened to pick it up. He had performed the _Levicorpus_ charm on her, an old favorite of the Half-Blood Prince.

"RONALD WEASLEY!" Hermione raged, her face slowly turning red because of the blood rushing to her head and the anger she was letting out. "LET ME DOWN NOW!"

"_Not_ until you hear me out," Ron said calmly, his fingers playing with her wand. "Hermione, you've been working _much_ too much lately. Now I told the boss that you're taking a week off starting tomorrow, and he agreed that you've been working too hard."

"You had him give me a _week_ off?" Hermione said through clenched teeth. "I could _kill_ you!"

"Yes, and I'm sure you will, Hermione," Ron said coolly. "You know I'm only thinking of you, love."

But his kind words no longer had any effect on Hermione. "You better hope to Merlin that _all_ my blood rushes to my head so I faint up here, because I might just _strangle _you!"

"Sorry Hermione, but it's for your health. You're on the verge of snapping like a twig if you keep this up."

"Too late!" Hermione shouted with horrible sarcasm, which made Ron laugh. She let out a scream of rage as Ron, with a wave of his wand, was able to let her down gently.

Ron tried helping Hermione up, but she simply threw his arms off. Before Ron could do anything, she slapped him across his face, leaving a red mark. She gathered her papers and Apparated on the spot. Ron knew she probably wasn't heading back to their flat, but to Harry and Ginny's flat to stay for the night, too furious with him to be in the same flat as him.

_Oh well, _Ron thought._ At least I got her out of this godforsaken office_. Knowing that she would forgive him eventually, Ron Apparated back to their flat.


	41. Watching Ron and Surprises

Christmas day took Ron and Hermione to Grimmauld Place with the rest of the Weasleys and Potters, plus Luna and Rolf, Neville and Hannah, and Teddy Lupin and Andromeda Tonks.

Percy and Audrey had announced they were pregnant with their second child. No one saw this as a surprise, for the Weasley family seemed to always be breeding.

Though she had been furious with Ron for giving her a week off, Hermione had grudgingly taken it. She had come back from Harry and Ginny's the day after Ron had retrieved her from the Ministry, still trying to stay indignant. However, the work she had been doing soon reduced her to tears, and she fell into Ron's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Throughout her week off, Ron would take care of her as much as he could. He made sure she had plenty of sleep and cooked as many meals as she would allow him for her. She eventually forgave him for telling her boss she needed a week off, and silently thanked him for it.

Hermione watched Ron out of the corner of her eye. They were at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place for Christmas. Molly and Andromeda Tonks were in the kitchen preparing dinner. Teddy Lupin was off exploring the huge house with Victoire and Dominique, and all the men were in the living room.

Hermione was sitting on the sofa on the other side of the living room with Ginny at her side, who was due to have the baby anytime. They both were talking with Luna, Fleur, Audrey, and Angelina about Ginny's pregnancy issues, but Hermione wasn't really listening. She was too busy looking at Ron.

He was over talking with Harry and George, but every once in a while, he would look over at Hermione and shoot her a grin and a wink. She loved to watch him. He was wonderful to look at, she thought. Since the war had ended six years ago, Hermione felt Ron had become much more serious about things, including their relationship. He knew when to be serious, but he also knew the right time to make a joke too, and he always knew exactly how to make Hermione laugh.

Hermione kept staring at him, unable to help herself. At full height, he was about four inches over six feet, just as Hermione loved him. His red hair wasn't too short or too long, but just right, and it had always fit him perfectly. He had just the right amount of freckles to make Hermione laugh out loud at the sight of him. His long nose was still just as long as it had always been, but Hermione loved it. His hands were about three times bigger than hers, but somehow, they fit into hers perfectly. And his eyes, they always told Hermione everything she needed to know.

Just looking at Ron made Hermione's love for him grow stronger. Every little detail about him she loved. Everything from her favorite freckle on his face to the way he protects her she loved.

Hermione's thoughts were interrupted by Molly Weasley announcing that dinner was ready.

Hermione took the seat across from Ron at the table. He winked at her and grinned at her (that special smile she knew was only for her) from across the table. They spent the meal silently communicating through their feet, Hermione even accidently hitting Harry's foot occasionally.

After dinner, the adults sat around talking about their school days while the children went off exploring again. Ron sat on the sofa with his arm protectively around Hermione, and he would lean over to kiss her head occasionally for no reason. She smiled at the feel of him, loving every part of him. Finally, Hermione was able to listen to the conversation going on in the room.

It turns out; Harry was actually talking about Ron and Hermione.

"And in sixth year, Ron found out Hermione had kissed Viktor Krum and Ron decided to date Lavender to get back at her, and it was jealous mania with the both of them!" Harry was saying. Everyone laughed, even Ron and Hermione.

"But we can't forget –" George started, but Ginny interrupted him.

"Oh Merlin," Ginny said, her hands clutching her wide belly. "My water just broke! This baby's coming NOW!"

Harry shot up off the armchair he had been sitting in and everyone in the room flew into a chattering panic, but Molly took charge. "Alright, Harry, you need to get her to St. Mungo's _now! _We'll all follow!"

Harry led Ginny over to the fireplace where they Flooed to St. Mungo's. Ron and Hermione quickly followed with the rest of the family in tow…

* * *

Within a half an hour later, James Sirius Potter had been born. Harry and Ginny were in a hospital room in St. Mungo's with their newborn in Ginny's arms when Ron and Hermione entered.

The first thing Hermione noticed about James was that he had his father's hair. Harry's black hair was in a small tuft on James' head. His eyes were open, so she could see that he had inherited Ginny's brown eyes.

Ron and Hermione visited with the newborn, and after fifteen minutes, allowed the rest of the family members to come in.

As they left, Hermione leaned into Ron and said, "That's what I want."

Ron's head whipped around at her. "Really?"

"Yes," Hermione hesitated. "Don't you?"

Ron nodded sincerely and honestly. "Yeah, I do. I want a family and I want it with you."

"But when do you want it?" Hermione asked.

"Real soon," Ron said, kissing her forehead. With that, they Disapparated to their flat.


	42. Attack

Ron was in a rut. He hadn't fought any Death Eaters in a few months, and he had a feeling they were brewing something really big.

It turns out he was right.

It was a year after James was born, and seven years after the defeat of Voldemort. Ron was in his bedroom trying to figure out how to fix his alarm clock. Hermione was in the kitchen cooking dinner.

From the distance between Ron and Hermione, Ron could hear a faint _pop _and a scream. Instinctively, Ron grabbed his wand and ran into the kitchen to find five hooded figures, two of them holding onto Hermione.

His world completely stopped. His eyes lingered on Hermione for a second, and he heard her whisper, "Ron," a look of pleading in her eyes.

Anger boiled in his veins. He didn't care if Hermione didn't want him to fight. He didn't care if he had to kill these Death Eaters to get them out of his flat. He only wanted them out of his life and away from his wife.

Without questioning them at all or waiting for them to interrogate him, he shot a nonverbal Stunning Spell at one of the Death Eaters holding Hermione. It hit the Death Eater straight on and he fell to the ground. Hermione was able to wrestle out of the grip of his companion and shot another Stunning Spell while avoiding the Killing Curse aimed at her by a third Death Eater.

The fact that Hermione had missed Death by inches made Ron's blood boil. He Stupefied the Death Eater who had shot the Killing Curse at Hermione while she dueled the three others.

Ron cut into the duel and tried Stunning one of the more powerful Death Eaters. He deflected it, and the frustration finally got to Ron. _"Avada Kedavra!" _Ron yelled. The spell hit the Death Eater and he was killed instantly.

Meanwhile, Hermione had Stunned another Death Eater, and they were down to one more, who seemed to be repelling every spell that was thrown at him.

"_Stupefy!" _Hermione yelled, aiming the spell at the Death Eater. He deflected it with one swift flick of his wand. The Death Eater cackled and shot a nonverbal spell at Hermione that sent her flying against the wall. She sank to the ground where she lay only partially conscious.

That was it for Ron. "_Avada Kedavra_!" he yelled. The motion was quick and the Death Eater wasn't expecting it. Therefore, it killed him instantaneously.

Surrounded by Stunned and dead Death Eaters, Ron rushed to Hermione's side. She was getting up slowly and she had a good sized bruise on her head, but she seemed alright.

"Hermione, are you alright? Can you walk?" Ron was frantic with questions as he helped her stand. Hermione nodded over and over again, then seemed to realize something as she stared at him with wide eyes.

"Ron, Harry and Ginny!" she screamed. Ron realized what she was talking about. If the Death Eaters were had attacked Ron and Hermione, they probably were attacking Harry and Ginny too.

In a fleet of panic, Hermione Disapparated to Harry and Ginny's flat. Ron quickly followed; his thoughts only on protecting Hermione.

As Ron barged into Harry and Ginny's flat, he was met by the sound of a scream and wands at work.

Harry was fighting off three Death Eaters, with three unconscious Death Eaters at his feet. Hermione was dueling two other Death Eaters in the other room. Ginny and James were nowhere in sight.

Ron jumped into the duel with Harry. "Where's Ginny?" he asked as he Stupefied a Death Eater.

"She took James into our bedroom!" Harry tried to say as quietly as possible, so the Death Eaters didn't hear over the roar of the wands.

A scream from another room in the flat interrupted their conversation.

"Ginny," Harry said frantically, running out of the room. Ron and Hermione were forced to stay to duel the Death Eaters.

Ron inched his way so that he was back to back with Hermione. He needed to be by her so he could jump in front of a Killing Curse for her if he had to.

Working together, Ron and Hermione were able to Stupefy most of the Death Eaters and leave two of them jinxed and confused.

Harry and Ginny still hadn't returned and the flat was alarmingly quiet. Ron and Hermione ran to their bedroom.

The two Death Eaters' backs were to the doorway and Ron squeezed Hermione's arm in warning not to say anything. Ginny's form was on the ground, whether she was alive or not, Ron could not tell. As they watched, one of the Death Eaters did a swift movement across Harry's chest and he fell to the ground unconscious. One-year-old James was on the bed, watching with mild interest. As the Death Eaters raised their wands to him, Ron and Hermione both reacted at the same time: "_Stupefy!_"

The Death Eaters fell to the ground; Hermione rushed to pick up James and Ron inspected Ginny and Harry.

"They're both alright," Ron said. "Looks like Ginny was hit by the same curse."

Ron tapped his wand to both their chests and said, "_Evanesco_."

Both Harry and Ginny woke straight away and started panicking when they couldn't find their son. "Ron, where's James?" Their heads swiveled around at Hermione and they both let out a sigh of relief at the sight of James in her arms.

Ron helped Harry and Ginny to their feet. Ginny went over to Hermione and took James from her. Ron looked around the destroyed flat, knowing that they were no longer safe.

"We have to get out of here," Ron said quietly. "Harry, Ginny, go pack a few bags. Me and Hermione will go too, and we'll meet in the corridor."

Less than ten minutes later, the foursome met again, James in Ginny's arms, and they all turned their backs on their dream flats in Diagon Alley, knowing they would probably never see them again.


	43. Hermione's News

A lot had happened since the attack Ron and Hermione had encountered almost five months ago.

First off, Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Ginny had found that the Death Eaters had completely destroyed Diagon Alley when they came out of their flats. They had instantly Apparated to the Burrow, where they were only safe for a limited of time. Within days, more Death Eaters found them there and the families had to flee again.

The Death Eaters had completely taken over the Wizarding World. They had no leader, only the will of their dead Dark Lord. Harry, Ron and Hermione could no longer work at the Ministry, because Death Eaters had taken over that too. However, Harry and Ron would go out to fight every day, and Hermione feared that one day, they wouldn't come back.

Now, Hermione and Ron were completely hidden in a Muggle suburb with Harry, Ginny, and James in the house next to them. But Hermione knew it was only a matter of time until they were forced out of their new beautiful house.

Despite this new fallen world, one day, Hermione was rushing home from a nearby store she now worked at with a beaming smile on her face.

She had no idea how to tell Ron her news, but she knew if she didn't soon, it would burst out of her anyway.

Hermione unlocked the door to their home and rushed inside. She found Ron, Harry, and a number of other men sitting around a wireless, listening to the Chudley Cannons game.

Her face almost fell, but she was determined to stay happy. "Ron, I need to tell you something –"

"Ssh, the game's almost over, love!" Ron said, waving at her to be quiet.

Hermione pursed her lips and looked around the room. Ron had taken the day off, and he had evidently decided to invite all the boys over and throw a Quidditch party. Drinks were set on every table, and she recognized ten other males in her home: Harry, George, Percy, Charlie, Bill, Teddy Lupin (now almost eight years old), Neville, Rolf (Luna's husband), Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Ernie Macmillian.

"…_and the Tornadoes score!"_ the announcer on the wireless declared. All the boys in the room groaned.

"Cheer up mates, we're still twenty points ahead!" Neville said, getting up to fill his empty firewhiskey glass.

Hermione tried again. "Ron, I think you'll really want to hear what I have to say –"

Ron shushed her again as the announcer spoke: _"Samson has seen the Snitch! Oh, but looks like Ubston has too…"_

Hermione flushed with anger and impatience as everyone in the room froze to listen extra hard to the broadcast. Finally, Hermione couldn't take it anymore.

"Ronald Weasley, will you _please_ give me a moment of you time so I can tell you that I'm _pregnant_?"

"…_and the Chudley Cannons win the game!"_

The only sound in the room was the roar of the crowd at the game on the wireless. Every head slowly turned to Hermione, and all eyes were on her. There was no cheering in the room to hear of.

But Hermione only had eyes for Ron's reaction. It seemed to be the same as everyone else's: shock.

"You're _what_?" he asked, his voice full of rasp.

"I'm – I'm pregnant," Hermione said with a slight smile and more confidence.

To her relief, Ron's face broke out in a grin threatening to rip his face. "That's brilliant! That means…I'm – I'm going to be a father!"

Hermione nodded, her smile growing bigger and bigger. Ron actually laughed out loud, and kissed her fully on the mouth. He lifted her up off her feet and spun her in a full circle with happiness. He then turned to the other men in the room and repeated: "I'm going to be a father!"

"We heard," Harry stated, grinning at his two best friends. "Congratulations, you two." He hugged Hermione and thumped Ron on the back.

Ron turned back to Hermione, and Hermione, not fully realizing what she was doing, slapped him on the arm.

"Ow, what was that for?" Ron asked, looking bewildered.

"That's for not paying attention to me!" Hermione said, half angry and half amused at how Ron was taking it. "Is this how you wanted to find out? Along with the rest of your friends?"

"I don't care how I found out as long as it's happening," Ron said with that lovely, serious voice he used on her. This made Hermione smile, and Ron kissed her again.

"Hermione I swear, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you and this baby are always happy," Ron said once they split apart. "You'll have my attention all the time." He hugged Hermione and lifted her chin so she was staring up at him. "You're already my world, and now this baby is my world too."

Hermione beamed at him and realized she couldn't believe what was happening. Ron Weasley, the one boy she couldn't stand throughout her Hogwarts education, was her husband and they were having a baby together. In Hermione's mind, it was completely unbelievable.

Everyone who had come to listen to the game were now coming up to Ron and Hermione and congratulating them. Once Hermione felt like she had had enough, she began to shoo them all out of the house.

"Alright, I want everyone out of my house now!" Hermione announced. "I'm pregnant, and the mood swings will be kicking in soon and you will _not_ want to mess with me!"

This forced the men out of the house. When the last guest had left (Harry with Teddy, who both promised to see Ron and Hermione soon) Hermione began to clean up the living room.

"Oi, what are you doing?" Ron came into the room from the entryway, looking scandalized at what Hermione was doing. Hermione gave him a questioning look.

"Cleaning up the living room?" Hermione said, her hands full of empty glasses.

"Oh, no you're not," Ron said, taking the glasses from her. "I do everything for the next nine months."

"The next nine months?" Hermione asked. "Why can't you do more when I'm _not _pregnant?"

Ron shot her a sweet, tender look. "You know, I might just take you up on that."

Hermione grinned. She loved it when he was sweet like this, just for her. "I love you, Ron."

Ron smiled, and kissed her deeply. "I love both of you."


	44. Captured

Hermione was now five months pregnant, and Ron was doing everything to make sure she was happy. Hermione loved that Ron cared enough about her and the baby to always be available. He would cook every meal and make sure the house was always clean enough to pass Hermione's inspection.

However, sometimes Hermione would insist that she was not helpless being pregnant, and insist to make a meal or two. There would be an argument, but Hermione would always win in the end.

Whenever Ron was sure Hermione and the baby were happy, he would go off and fight Death Eaters with Harry, which scared Hermione to no end.

Ron's birthday would take place at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place that year. Percy and Audrey had had their second child, a girl named Lucy, not long after Ginny had had James, and Ron and Hermione had yet to see her due to the Death Eaters' attack.

Furthermore, Ginny and Angelina were both pregnant with their second children. Ginny was a few months behind Hermione, and Angelina was due to pop anytime.

As Ron and Hermione Disapparated in front of Grimmauld Place, Ron had an eerie feeling that they would find the house empty, despite the fact that they were ten minutes late.

Ron and Hermione made their way up the steps (All the way Ron helping Hermione and Hermione insisting she was perfectly capable to walk on her own) and rang the doorbell. When there was no response, Ron opened the door with the key Harry had given them.

Inside, the mansion was completely deserted. Ron rounded on Hermione. "Are you sure it's the right _time_?"

"_Yes_," Hermione said, looking around after glaring reproachfully at Ron. "HARRY? GINNY?" They both hurried from level to level searching for their family. Finally, they met back in the entryway.

"No one's here," Hermione said, running a hand through her hair worriedly. "Something bad happened…I can feel it…"

"Don't say that," Ron snapped. "I –"

Suddenly, all the lights in the house went out and Ron heard a scream he knew only too well echo through the darkness. The lights turned back on as abruptly as they had gone out, and Ron found that Hermione was gone from his side.

"Hermione?" Ron called through the house apprehensively. When he heard nothing, he began to panic and search the level he was on. "HERMIONE! HERMIONE?"

He kicked open the door to the kitchen but before he could make a step further, something heavy collided with the back of his head and his world was lost.

Ron woke tied to a chair in an oddly familiar room. As he looked around more, he found he was in one of the drawing rooms of Grimmauld Place. In the doorway stood three men Ron wished he never saw again.

Lucius Malfoy stepped out of the shadows and Ron had never felt more hatred towards one person.

"Finally awake, Weasley?" Malfoy asked with the usual drawl in his voice. "I suppose you're wondering where your dearly beloved is." The man behind him snickered evilly, and Ron recognized him as Yaxley. As Ron looked closer, he saw the third man was none other than Draco Malfoy, looking solemn.

"What did you do with her?" Ron shot out, now struggling to break the ropes binding him the chair free. He realized his wand was missing.

"Oh come now, Weasley, you don't need to know _details_," Malfoy said with torment, his eyes sparkling with cruelty. "We've simply placed her in a separate _place_ than you. No harm done."

Ron's blood began to boil in his veins as he struggled more than ever. "I swear, if you touch her, I'll –"

"You'll curse us into the next millennium. Yes, we've heard that before," Malfoy waved his threat away with boredom. "But I do suppose you can see her one last time. That way it'll be even more fun to wrench you apart." Lucius Malfoy flicked his wand, and Hermione appeared out of nowhere as if she had just Apparated there.

Malfoy grabbed her arm and looked back at Ron. "We'll leave you alone because we have some other business to attend to. If you try anything smart" – Malfoy pointed to Hermione's growing baby bump with his wand – "this one will be the first to go."

Malfoy shoved Hermione towards Ron and the three men Disapparated.

"Ron," Hermione said breathlessly. She hurried over to him and kissed him fully on the lips.

"I want to know what they did to you," Ron said bluntly and seriously.

"They put me in this dungeon with the rest of the family. I guess they got here before us to capture everyone. I don't know where it was though, and I couldn't recognize it…they Stunned me and I woke up in the dungeon."

"Did you feel the baby move at all after that?" Ron asked right away.

"Yes, I don't think it affected the baby too bad," Hermione said. "We've got a strong one," she said with a sense of pride in her voice.

A wave of relief passed through Ron. "So no Cruciatus Curse?" Ron asked hurriedly. Hermione winced at the forcefulness in his voice, and shook her head. Another powerful relief wave hit him.

"Hermione, we've got to get out of here," Ron said, desperately trying to release himself from the ropes. Hermione kneeled down next to him and was able to loosen the knots enough to untie them. Ron shook off the ropes and kicked the chair aside to hug Hermione tightly. "I thought I lost you," he whispered into her hair.

"I'll never be gone, Ron," Hermione said. "It'll take a lot to do me in."

Ron and Hermione spent probably ten minutes searching for a trapdoor in the room they were in. The door was locked, and there were no trapdoors or windows.

After an hour left alone in the room, Ron was still feeling the walls for trapdoors and Hermione, who had given up long ago, was frantically pulling books from a nearby bookcase in the corner of the room.

"Hermione, this isn't the time for _books_!" Ron hurled at her.

Ignoring Ron, Hermione continued to pull books from the bookcase. Finally, after pulling _Dark Items and Where to find them_ from the top shelf, the bookcase swung open like a door.

Ron, reacting instinctively, pulled Hermione by the waist in order for her to avoid being knocked aside by the heavy case. Once the bookcase was swung aside, they found that a tunnel had been hidden behind the false bookcase.

Ron's mouth dropped as he stared at the tunnel. "You…are…_brilliant_."

Hermione blushed and opened her mouth to respond, but her lips were met by Ron's before she could say a word. She broke the kiss a bit early for Ron's taste, but he saw the fear in her eyes and understood they needed to start moving.

The tunnel seemed to be very dark. As much as he didn't want to say it, Ron turned to Hermione and said, "We're going to have to close the bookcase so they don't know how we got out." Hermione looked very reluctant, especially since Malfoy took their wands and they had no light source besides the light from the room they were in. However, she bravely nodded and together, they were able to close the bookcase so they were sucked into complete darkness.

Hermione had felt around for Ron's hand and found it. "Don't let go," she said from the darkness.

"I won't," Ron promised solemnly. He felt his way through the tunnel, leading Hermione behind him.

It felt like they were there forever, and the darkness was swallowing them before Ron was ready. Finally, Ron hit a wall in front of them. _Don't tell me it's a dead end…No, _we_ can't die here…not with a child on the way… _

"It's a dead end!" he exclaimed to Hermione. "We're done for!"

"Wait Ron, don't you always carry around that Deluminator from Dumbledore?" Hermione voice came from nowhere.

Ron internally kicked himself. How could he not remember he had the Deluminator? He took the small silver object out of his pocket and clicked it open. Several miniature suns hung in the air and he saw Hermione's face for the first time in what felt like hours. Ron looked around: they were definitely at a dead end, no other forks or hidden pathways.

However, Hermione was feeling the wall at the dead end as if to try to find another secret passageway.

"Hermione, I highly doubt there will be –"

Before he could finish his sentence, Hermione had turned a loose brick in the wall and the wall turned to reveal the Weasleys and Potters. They all turned to look at Ron and Hermione, then froze with horror on each of their faces.

"Well done," a cold voice came from the front of the dungeon. Ron looked around George to see Lucius Malfoy for the second time that night. Ron felt himself stepping in front of Hermione.

"I suppose the Mudblood figured out how to get you out? Because we all know that the Weasley blood-traitors could never find their way out of a paper bag –"

Ron's anger was at a boiling point, but before he could do anything, Hermione had pushed past him and shoved him out of the way.

"You just got a very hormonal pregnant woman _very_ angry," she whispered, her voice shaking with rage. And with that, she punched Lucius Malfoy in the face, just as she had slapped his son almost twelve years ago. He fell to the ground and his wand fell out of his hand. Hermione rushed to pick it up and Stupefied Malfoy before he could get up.

Hermione then began going through his pockets, and retrieved several more wands, no doubt taken from the family. She tossed them to random members of the family, Ron included. "Everyone needs to Disapparate out of here _now!_ Go somewhere safe!"

No one argued with her, for they all heard footsteps hurrying towards them. But the Trio being the Trio, they all waited until everyone had Disapparated until they themselves did. Ron watched Harry, Ginny, and James Disapparate, then felt Hermione grip his hand.

The last thing he saw was two Death Eaters entering the dungeons, looks of fury on their faces.


	45. Thankfulness

After escaping the Death Eaters at Grimmauld Place, Hermione had Disapparated herself and Ron back to their house in Cornwall. She knew it was risky Apparating while pregnant, but they would've been killed if they hadn't escaped.

She had no idea where the rest of the family had Disapparated, but she hoped they had all gone somewhere safe.

Now Ron and Hermione were both standing in the middle of their living room and Hermione felt Ron's eyes on her. She turned to him to see him looking at her with a mixture of admiration and shock.

"What?" she asked apprehensively. She felt herself starting to distract herself by cleaning up the dishes left in the sink in the kitchen.

"Hermione, you were _amazing!_" Ron exclaimed, following her into the kitchen. "I can't believe you were able to figure out how to get us out of that!"

Hermione was able to suppress a smile. "Well, I panicked. And when Malfoy called your family blood-traitors, I just snapped."

"But it wasn't just the fact that you punched Malfoy!" Ron went on. "It's that you were able to open that bookcase and that _wall!_" He was looking at her in that special way again.

Hermione shrugged modestly. "I've learned a lot from living at Hogwarts for six years. Got locked in a lot of rooms, and I figured out how wizards used to set up passageways."

"You're brilliant," Ron said once again, still in awe. Hermione smiled at him and continued to bustle around the kitchen. While at the sink, she felt Ron's arms wrap around her waist, his hands stroking her growing midsection.

"How's the baby?" Ron asked in her ear, evidently suddenly remembering that they had just Disapparated when they were advised not to.

"It's moving," Hermione said truthfully. "I can feel it."

"You sure?"

Hermione nodded, and she felt Ron sigh with relief behind her. "Hermione, we can't keep living like this. What if they find us? And our child…" He trailed off, sounding distressed.

Hermione sighed and turned around in his arms. "I know. I think the best thing to do right now is just stay put. And I think its best not to communicate with the family. They might be watching us."

Ron looked down at his feet, looking quite miserable. Hermione raised his face and kissed him gently on the lips. "It'll be fine."

Ron smiled. "I can't believe I ended up with such a bright, brilliant witch for a wife. I'd be dead without you, you know that?"

Hermione smiled at his goofy grin. "I know." She turned and started to empty the dishwasher (the muggle contraption she had insisted on getting in order to fit in with the Muggle suburb they were living in) when Ron swiped the dish she had just gotten out from her hands.

"What did I tell you?" Ron asked, his voice full of sarcasm. "I do everything, remember?"

"Fine," Hermione said simply. "I'm not going to fight you tonight Ron. If you want to do housework, go ahead." She pretended to sound angry, but she and Ron both knew she was grateful for his help.

"Alright then," Ron said, leading her to the couch. "You sit your brilliant, know-it-all self down and _relax_ for once, Hermione. You've already done enough today."

"Thank you," Hermione mumbled gratefully to him.

"It's no trouble," Ron said, giving her a stack of her books and a soft kiss on the lips. He winked at her and turned back to the kitchen.

_He really is the sweetest man in the world_, Hermione thought as she opened _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them._


	46. Proof of Their Love

* * *

At eight months pregnant, Hermione's mood swings were getting worse. Ron felt like he was constantly trying to keep her happy. She would yell at him for very small things and the next minute, she would be in tears in his arms, leaving Ron feeling very bewildered.

George and Angelina had had their baby, a girl named Roxanne. Ginny was now six months pregnant, and Ron noticed that Ginny's moods were no better than Hermione's.

It seemed like the baby would never come, and Ron was getting impatient, especially since he had to deal with the moody Hermione most of the time.

However, one night (when Hermione seemed to be in one of her better moods) Ron found her in the hammock in the backyard, which he had insisted on setting up. He had a tray containing two cups of tea, and he smiled at the sight of Hermione lying in the hammock, staring up at the stars, clearly entranced.

"Hey beautiful," Ron said as he approached her. She jumped and smiled at him. He set the tray on a nearby table. "Mind if I join you?"

Hermione shook her head and moved to make room for him. He crawled onto the hammock next to her and took her into his arms. "I don't think this thing will hold us anymore," Hermione said weakly.

Ron laughed. "What have you been doing?"

"Just watching the stars," Hermione said simply. She drew her attention back to the stars. However, Ron couldn't keep his eyes off her. He slowly kissed the side of her head lovingly.

"Can you believe," Ron said, "that in a month's time, we'll have a real human being that's a piece of you and a piece of me combined into one."

Hermione looked at him and met his eyes. She laughed at the goofy grin on his face. "You've been hanging around women too long, love."

"No, really!" Ron said, a bit more forcefully. "We're going to have a child that's half you and half me! Living proof that we'll always be together." He swept a strand of Hermione's hair out of her face. "And something to keep us together."

"I don't need anything to keep me with you, Ron," Hermione said, stroking his face with her finger. "This child is just something else in my life that I can love more than anything." She smiled. "Along with you."

Ron kissed her forehead and his hands drifted to her baby belly. "I hope it looks like you. Then I have a constant reminder why I love it so much." Ron looked deeply into Hermione's eyes, always hypnotized by the intensity of her soft, brown eyes. "I hope it has your eyes. I hope it drives me mad just like you do."

She laughed softly and he smirked and broke out in laughter too. When their laughter subsided, Hermione turned back to Ron. "What about names? We've barely talked about any."

"That's because it always ends in argument Hermione," Ron said.

"Alright, what do you have in mind?" Hermione asked, her eyes focused on Ron.

"M – me?" Ron stuttered. "I haven't really thought about it…" he trailed off and Hermione's attention turned to her garden nearby. Ron's eyes followed her gaze and he saw it was on the roses that had bloomed earlier that season.

"What about Rose?" Hermione said dreamily. "For all those times you gave me roses on my birthday?"

"Rose," Ron repeated the name. "Rose Weasley. I like it." It was the first time he had approved a name Hermione had suggested, and he felt like they were finally agreeing.

"What about for a boy?" Hermione asked.

"I dunno…" Ron felt himself getting tired lying next to Hermione under the stars.

"How about…Viktor?"

Ron's eyes flew open and he stared at Hermione in horror. "WHAT? No! No way are we naming our child after that – that –"

However, Hermione was laughing. "Relax, love. I was joking. It got you awake though, didn't it?"

Ron grumbled unrepeatable words, and Hermione turned his face towards hers. "I love you," she said before kissing him full on the lips.

"I love you," Ron said with his lips an inch away from Hermione's. He leaned down to her midsection and kissed her big baby belly. "We love you too, baby."

* * *

The next morning, Hermione woke with a jolt, waking Ron in the process. "What is it?"

"Ron…I think – I think the baby's coming!"

"WHAT?" Ron felt her belly as if trying to feel the baby coming.

"Ron, you're not going to be able to feel it coming!" Hermione yelled. "We need to get to St. Mungo's now! I'm in labor!"

Ron, not sure how to react to this, helped Hermione out of bed and Flooed them both to the hospital…

* * *

An hour later, Ron was sitting by Hermione's bedside, while she looked exhausted with pain. Ron really wished he could take her place; he really hated seeing her in such pain.

The Healer walked in and said to Hermione, "Alright, Mrs. Weasley, we're going to start to push. Mr. Weasley, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to leave. Standard customary law."

Ron shook his head vigorously. "No, I'm not leaving her."

The Healer looked at him with a deadly expression. "Mr. Weasley, if you don't leave now, I _will_ have you thrown out. It's a customary wizarding law that men are not allowed to witness the birth. It's been like this for centuries."

Ron looked back at Hermione, and thought for a moment, that it would be quite worth it to stay at her side and risking getting thrown out. However, Hermione grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Ron, you have to go. I'll be fine, I promise."

Ron nodded and kissed her lips before being pushed out of the room by the Healer…

* * *

Within a few minutes, after pacing the corridor (and listening to a few screams coming from inside the room Hermione was occupying) Ron turned to see the Healer coming out of Hermione's room.

"Mr. Weasley," the Healer said. "Would you like to see your daughter?"

A grin broke onto Ron's face: he had a baby girl.

He followed the Healer into Hermione's room. There was Hermione holding their new baby girl; Ron felt his grin grow bigger, if that was even possible.

Hermione watched him kneel by her bedside and beamed. Ron's eyes travelled to the bundle in her arms. The baby had his hair: Ron could see the faint Weasley red fuzz growing out of her head. Her eyes were open and Ron could see that she had Hermione's beautiful brown eyes. Ron reached out and gently stroked the baby's hair. He couldn't believe it: she was a perfect combination of him and Hermione. A piece of Ron and a piece of Hermione morphed into one.

"Shall we go with Rose?" Hermione asked. Ron tore his eyes from the baby to see Hermione looking at him hopefully. A grin like nothing he had never experienced broke out on his face. He nodded and kissed Hermione softly, then the baby's head. "Rose Hermione Weasley."


	47. Victory

It was two months since the early arrival of Rose Weasley, and Ron and Hermione were constantly kept busy because of her. To Hermione, Rose made her life much more exciting, just as Ron did.

Rose was her world. She loved her unconditionally, as every parent should. Hermione took Rose everywhere, whether it was to a family reunion (they still met the family occasionally, even if they were risking getting found by Death Eaters) or simply a trip to the store.

Ron absolutely adored Rose. He was exceptionally proud of everything she did, from when she opened her eyes to when she fell asleep at night. He was constantly telling anyone who would listen that Rose was going to be the cleverest witch of her age, just like her mother. Hermione would blush and beam at these words, and Ron would smirk and kiss her on the side of the head.

Harry and Ginny were now eight months pregnant with their second child. Ron and Hermione saw them frequently, especially since they lived right next to them.

Early one morning when Hermione was making breakfast, there was a tap on the window, and Hermione turned to see a brown owl with the newspaper. She opened the window and pushed a Knut into the pouch on the owl's leg. She untied the paper from the owl and shrieked at the headline on the front of the _Daily Prophet_.

"RON!" she yelled. "RON, GET IN HERE!" She didn't care if she woke Rose, this was much too important.

Ron came tearing into the room, his wand out and his eyes half-closed with sleep. "What happened? What is it?"

Beaming with happiness and relief, Hermione laid the paper down on the table. Ron, still half-asleep, squinted to read the headline:

**Lucius Malfoy Found Dead; Rest of Death Eaters Arrested**

Ron's face spread into a grin. "This is _brilliant!_" he said breathlessly.

"I know!" Hermione said, still grinning. "Now we don't have to worry about Malfoy coming after us, because we all knew the other Death Eaters were just going along with what he wanted, and I'm sure if there's any more out there we'll –"

She was cut off by Ron's lips on hers. "All I know is that we're safe," Ron said once they broke apart. "We're all safe, and now Rose is safe too."

As if on cue, a cry was heard from the other side of the house.

"Speak of the devil," Hermione said smiling.

"I've got it," Ron said. "Since you've always got everything else."

Before he left, he wrapped Hermione in his arms and kissed her deeply. "I love you."

Hermione smiled, never getting tired of those words and the intensity in Ron's voice every time he said them to her. "I love you too."


	48. Scars

It was a year after Rose had been born, and everything couldn't have gotten better.

The Weasley family was able to move back into the Wizarding World, which was slowly rebuilding itself after the Death Eaters were gone. Arthur and Molly were repairing the damage done to the Burrow (the Death Eaters had set it on fire) with the help of Bill and Charlie, and occasionally Ron, Harry and George. Percy was travelling the world for his job at the Ministry; he had regretfully been gone for two months already.

Harry and Ginny had had their second child a few months after Rose had arrived, a boy named Albus, after their beloved headmaster. Not long before that, Harry had been honored with the title of Head Auror, to which Ginny responded with a large party in which Ron, Hermione, and Rose all attended, along with a great amount of the rest of the wizarding world.

Ron and Hermione were able to get a new house close to Harry and Ginny in Godric's Hollow. Harry loved his new home. Hermione would watch him stroll down to his parents' graves at sundown and occasionally place a bouquet of flowers in front of their headstones. She knew this was where Harry really wanted to be: close to his parents.

One night, after finishing the signing of many papers for work (she had gotten her job back at the Ministry, but she didn't work full time, due to Rose) Hermione rushed up to Rose's room to see if she was still awake.

To her surprise, she found Ron leaning over Rose's crib, talking softly to the child. His back was turned to her, and he hadn't heard her come in. Hermione, however, could hear everything he was saying to Rose.

"You're going to be just like your mother, Rosie. Top of your class, you'll be, with top grades and all your O.W.L.s…" Ron trailed off as he stroked his baby's red hair, which was now very prominent.

"And then one day, you'll meet a real git who drives you mad, and you'll get stuck with him."

Rose giggled, and Ron chuckled lightly at her. Hermione smiled and approached Ron slowly; wrapping her arms around his waist, and making him jump. Before Ron could say anything, Hermione cut in on his rambling.

"And you'll be a brilliant Quidditch player, just like your father," Hermione said, avoiding Ron's eyes on her and keeping hers on Rose. "And you'll make everyone in the room laugh, because your father will teach you all his sick and twisted jokes." A smile played at Hermione's lips, and Ron cut in.

"And you'll worry about _everything_ and care about everyone, because your mother is raising you," Ron grinned at Hermione, who returned it. "I'm sure she can give you some pointers about worrying properly."

Hermione slapped him on the arm playfully. They both looked down at their daughter, and saw that she had fallen asleep. Hermione drew her arm up and over the crib and stroked her baby's cheek. "We love you, Rose."

Hermione grabbed Ron's hand and led him out of the room, Ron looking back reluctantly.

"She's fine Ron," Hermione assured him. She knew he still had worries about Death Eaters coming back. Ron had become much more protective of both Hermione and Rose in the last nine years.

Hermione led him to their bed. Ron lay down under the blankets and Hermione did the same next to him. As he drew his arms around her like he did on most nights, Hermione noticed something rather odd.

"Ron, what are these?" she asked, tracing her fingers on the many small scars on his arm.

Ron looked confused. "That's where those brains attacked me at the Ministry in fifth year. You remember me telling you about that, right?"

"You mean you _still_ have the scars?" Hermione was shocked. She couldn't believe these scars had stayed so prominent for the last eleven years.

"Well..Yeah…but they're fading," Ron grinned sheepishly.

Hermione, however, pursed her lips and continued to trace the scars. "Why haven't you ever removed them with magic?"

"Well, I've never really thought about it," Ron said. "And I don't think I would want to."

"Why?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I don't know," Ron said, and looked like he truly meant it. "I guess I feel like they're apart of me now."

Hermione was silent, quietly stroking the purple scars on his freckled arms.

"What about yours?"

Hermione looked up, meeting Ron's eyes for the first time. "What?"

"Your scar," Ron said it as if it was obvious. "On your throat."

Hermione suddenly realized what he was talking about, and her hand flew to her throat to trace her own thin scar. It was still a reminder she had of Malfoy Manor.

"What about it?" Hermione asked, holding back her tears.

"Well, you've had it just as long as I've had mine, so why haven't you've ever removed it?"

"You're two years off, love," Hermione said, trying to change the subject.

"Whatever," Ron rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Hermione, just tell me."

"Well, I suppose…" Hermione stalled. "I suppose it's because I need a reminder of that…night."

"Why would you want to _remember_ that night?" Ron asked, clearly taken aback by her answer. "I'm always trying to forget it. Worst night of my life…" he began stroking her scar absentmindedly.

"Because I…" Hermione trailed off and suddenly realized what she was trying to get out. "Because you saved me that night. And it was the first time I realized you really cared about me. When you took me to Shell Cottage, it was the best moment of my life (up to when Rose was born) because I knew you cared. So I suppose, I always needed a reminder of that, so I kept the scar."

Hermione turned to Ron, who looked as if she had slapped him across the face. "Hermione, I have _always _cared. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Because you _left_!" Hermione burst out, now scowling at Ron. "And you dated Lavender Brown to prove everyone wrong, how was I supposed to know –" But Hermione was cut off by Ron's lips pressed into hers. When they broke apart, Ron looked at her sternly.

"Hermione, I need you to know something. I have always cared about _you_. It's always been you first. Lavender Brown was a mistake, a big mistake. I did it to prove to Ginny and everyone else that I could get a girl, and I subconsciously was doing it to make you jealous."

Hermione's expression softened. She had already figured this out long ago, but Ron had never admitted it to her face.

"And as far as leaving you and Harry, you _know_ how I feel about that," Ron went on. "You know I wish I could take it all back."

Hermione's eyes now swimming with tears, she softly kissed Ron's lips. She snuggled into the nape of his neck as he continued to stroke the scar on her neck.

"I love you," Hermione whispered into his neck.

"I've always loved you," she heard his voice and recognized the honesty in it.


	49. Never Knowing

A year and a half after the birth of their daughter, Ron and Hermione still adored Rose more than anything in the world. One day, Ron had witnessed Rose say her first word ("Book!") and had frantically called Hermione, who had rushed into the room and was just as ecstatic as her husband.

One Sunday morning, Ron woke to find the space where Hermione usually slept next to him empty. He got dressed and checked every room in the house, calling Hermione's name, but only Rose was to be found in her room. There was no note.

Now panicking, he frantically swept Rose out of her crib, and left the house with her to go to the one place Hermione would be if she wasn't home: Harry and Ginny's.

Ron stopped at their small home only a block away from his own. He knocked desperately on the door. _Please let her be here…if she's gone it's my fault… _

Ginny answered the door while wrapping herself in a dressing robe. "Ron, what's wrong?"

"Is Hermione here?" Ron asked frantically. "I can't find her anywhere…"

Ginny, wide-eyed and looking frightened, shook her head. "Ron, I haven't seen Hermione since we got together two days ago."

Suddenly, Harry came into view, carrying Albus on his hip and James trailing behind him, all still in their pajamas. "Ron, what's up?"

"You haven't seen Hermione, have you?" Ron asked him.

Harry slowly shook his head. "Why, what happened?"

"I woke up and she was completely gone. No note or anything."

"We'll help you," Ginny said at once, turning her back on her brother to quickly get dressed.

"No!" Ron said loudly, grabbing her arm. "I need you to look after Rose. If it gets serious, I'll let you know. I just need Rose to know that everything…seems to be alright." Ron forced Rose into Ginny's arms and turned his back on the two, leaving them looking bewildered.

Ron's next stop was the Ministry, which was difficult enough to get into, due to the fact that it was a weekend. He checked Hermione's office and every other department, but the whole Ministry was empty.

Now in a full panic attack, Ron fled the Ministry to send a Patronus out to everyone in the family. Soon, there were many silver Patronus-shaped replies bombarding him, all telling him that they hadn't seen Hermione and would help to find her.

Ron rushed down the road; his mind now set on going to Grimmauld Place to search there, when he passed an alleyway and caught a glimpse of brown out of the corner of his eye. He backtracked and his breath caught in his throat at what he saw.

Hermione was sprawled facedown in the corner of the alleyway, her body very still and her hair covering her face. Ron's heart stopped beating at the sight of her. From his view, she looked very much dead.

Ron could feel his heart beating in his ears, and it was a moment before he was able to figure out how to use his legs again. When he did, he rushed to Hermione's side and rolled her over on her back, only to gasp at the state of her face.

The whole left side of her face was covered in blood. Her eyes were closed and Ron could see a gash under the dried blood on her face. It looked as if she had fallen from twenty feet, possibly from the rooftops above. He immediately checked her heart and found it was beating slowly, but surely.

He scooped her up in his arms and looked back at the street, feeling quite helpless. He decided the best thing to do was to get her to St. Mungo's…

Ron was pacing the hospital waiting room. He had burst through the doors of St. Mungo's, looking round wildly and yelled at the innocent receptionist that his wife needed a Healer…bad. A Healer had shown up and levitated Hermione away from Ron and through the doors that had the words Emergency printed on them.

Ron had notified the family and they were now all here, along with Hermione's parents. He stopped pacing to look over at Rose, who was drifting off to sleep while Ginny stroked her red hair in the chair next to her. Rose, of course, was too young to understand what was happening, but she must've felt the uneasy vibe of the room, because she started crying for absolutely no reason a few minutes after she arrived at the hospital with Harry, Ginny and her cousins.

At the moment, the same Healer who had taken Hermione away a few hours ago came through the emergency doors. Ron rushed over to him.

"D'you know what could've happened to her?" Ron hurled at him.

The Healer looked grim. "We have some estimates. You say you found her in an alleyway?"

"Yeah," Ron said slowly, "I woke up this morning and I couldn't find her anywhere. So I went a few blocks from our house, and I saw her just lying there, facedown…as if she had fallen from twenty feet." Ron inhaled and waited for the Healer to respond.

"We think that's a possibility," the Healer said calmly. "There is something you need to know, however, Mr. Weasley."

Ron tensed and braced himself for the worse.

"She's been under the Imperius Curse."

This was not what Ron was expecting. His eyes widened and he struggled to keep calm and resisted the urge to lash out at the innocent Healer. "How long?"

"We can't say," the Healer went on, "We can't measure the length of time she's been under the Curse. The important thing is, she's out of it now."

Ron's tense body loosened with a relief only a bit, but he still had one last question. "Can I see her?"

The Healer nodded and led him down the corridor and into a small room at the end.

Hermione lay barely conscious in the hospital bed, a heavy bandage over her face, and her whole body was deathly pale. When she saw Ron in the doorway, however, her brown eyes lit up with happiness.

"Ron," she breathed. She sounded so worn down that Ron felt like crying just hearing her voice and seeing her condition. He quickly took the empty spot by her bedside and grabbed her hand.

"Hermione," he started, keeping his voice as gentle as possible. "D'you remember what…what happened to you at all?"

Hermione shook her head, her eyes now filled with sadness. "I remember going to bed with you last night, and the next thing I remember, I was falling twenty feet from the rooftops. Then I woke up here." Hermione was shaking with sobs and Ron embraced her tightly.

"I wish we knew," Ron said, "then I could kill whoever did this to you."

He looked into her eyes and saw the love he had seen for the last nine and a half years. She dropped her gaze and stroked his hand in hers with her finger.

"I was so afraid I had lost you," Ron said, taking her into his arms once more, feeling her arms around his torso. "It doesn't seem like we can trust anyone anymore."

"D'you think we'll ever know?" Hermione asked, her eyes meeting his once more.

Ron pursed his lips and gave her his honest opinion. "No. I think there are some things we will never know, Hermione."


	50. More Worries from Hermione

* * *

A week after the attack on Hermione, Ron had become extremely obsessed with her whereabouts at all times. One day, Hermione came home a half an hour late, and Ron completely lost it, telling her she should've sent a Patronus. Hermione got angry, of course, and told Ron that she could take care of herself and stormed out of the room, leaving Ron to deal with the icy silence left swirling around in the room.

But despite the obsession Ron had over Hermione's location, he couldn't help but notice something was different about her. She seemed exceptionally moody and angry all the time. She would snap at Ron sometimes for no reason, and Ron felt like he was losing the Hermione he had always loved.

One day, when Ron and the rest of the Weasley family were at Grimmauld Place for a celebration three days before Christmas, Hermione Apparated from work into the living room, giving Fleur and Audrey - who had been deep into discussion about their children – quite a fright.

Ron, who had been talking to Harry and Teddy about Quidditch with Rose in his arms, looked over and noticed Hermione looked extremely nervous. He hadn't seen that look on her face since three weeks before their O.W.L. exams. Immediately, he let Rose down next to Roxanne and Albus and made his way over to Hermione.

"Hello love," Ron said when he approached her, kissing her lightly on the lips. "What's wrong?"

Hermione plastered a fake smile on her face and simply said, "Nothing, I'm fine."

Ron gave her a stern look. "Hermione…" he said warningly.

Hermione shot him a deadly look and walked away to greet Rose, who was with Ginny and Angelina, who were both staring at the two curiously.

Ron sighed and joined the conversation Percy and Bill were having. He would be able to get whatever was bothering her out of her soon enough.

* * *

Two hours later, Ron noticed Hermione leaving the room. He took the opportunity to follow her and question her about what was bothering her.

Before Hermione could leave his sight, Ron grabbed her arm and spun her around. "Hermione, what's wrong?"

Hermione looked around miserably, and finally grabbed his arm and led him into a nearby closet. She closed the door behind them and used her wand for light.

"I have to tell you something Ron," she said quietly.

"What is it?" Ron asked, almost unable to read Hermione's face in the weak light of her wand. Hermione hesitated and Ron tipped her chin so she was looking him in the eyes. "Hermione, what is it?"

At this, Hermione's eyes filled with tears and she looked away. She mumbled something incoherent and Ron looked at her confusingly.

"Sorry?"

Hermione sighed impatiently and stated quite clearly, "I'm pregnant."

This was the last thing Ron was expecting and the shock came quite quickly. He was unable to get any words out until after about two minutes of awkward silence. "I – Hermione – that's brilliant!" He wrapped his arms around her, but to his surprise, she pushed him away.

"You're lying to me," Hermione accused quietly. "You're not happy about this at all."

Ron was bewildered. "What – No, I'm not – Hermione, how could I ever be unhappy about having another child?"

At this, Hermione completely broke down into tears and fell into Ron's arms. Ron, completely frightened and taken aback by this sudden change of emotion, wrapped his arms around her and let her sob into his shoulder.

"I don't know – Ron, it's just, we hadn't planned for this one – and I'm afraid I won't be able to handle two children." Hermione sank to the ground, and Ron quickly followed suit. "What if I'm as bad a mother as I am with Rose?"

"_What?_"Ron's tone was so sharp; Hermione looked up surprised, her tearstained face looking at him expectantly.

Ron was completely shocked. How could Hermione think she was a bad mother? Next to his own mother, Ron thought Hermione had the most remarkable motherly instincts and could handle anything Rose could throw at her. And she always kept her patience around Rose, no matter how stressed she was, a quality Ron still wished he had.

"Hermione," Ron scooted closer to her and held both of her hands in his. "You are the most brilliant mother I have ever seen. You can handle everything, and I know if I was to die today, you would still be able to raise two kids on your own."

Hermione sniffed and leaned into Ron's shoulder. "I'm sorry I've been such a prat lately. I would blame it on the pregnancy, but I think I was yelling at everyone before I was pregnant. And I hate that I have no idea why I've been like this."

Ron lovingly kissed her temple and rested his cheek on the top of her head. "I think you're stressed about work again. You've been working too hard. That's why a nine-month break is going to be perfect for you." He grinned cheekily at her and he saw, in the dim light, the smile he loved started to creep across her lips.

"So," Ron said ever-so-casually, "another baby."

Hermione laughed at this. "Yes, another baby. Not _that_ big of a deal."

Ron chuckled as he recognized her joke and kissed her deeply on her soft lips. "I'm going to take care of all of you forever, whether you're pregnant or not. I need you to know how much I love you, Hermione."

"I do know how much you love me, Ron," Hermione stated before kissing him again. "And you are going to be a brilliant father, just like you are with Rose."

Ron grinned and stood up, helping Hermione up as well. "C'mon, we might as well tell everyone now."

And with that, he led Hermione out of the closet to tell the family the good news.


	51. Tired and Bored

Ron and Hermione were now seven months pregnant with their second child. Hermione was less moody than she had been with her first pregnancy, and Ron was thankful for that. Nevertheless, he was constantly making sure Hermione was comfortable.

Rose was enthralled that she was to receive a younger sibling. She had always been quite jealous of her cousins because they had the siblings she longed for. Now she would have one of her own.

Harry and Ginny were pregnant with their third child, only a few months behind Ron and Hermione. The foursome still got to see each other many times during the week.

It wasn't until a so-called normal day at the Ministry, did the trouble begin.

Hermione was in her office when she heard a voice out in the corridor that she hadn't heard in many years.

She opened the door to see Lavender Brown talking with her boss. Lavender caught her gaze and Hermione ducked back in her office.

This could_ not_ be happening. No way could Lavender Brown be working at the Ministry…could she?

Hermione heard a knock on the door. Just as she was about to let them in, the door opened and Lavender Brown was standing there; proud, long, blonde hair and all.

"Hermione Granger," Lavender said knowingly. "I thought_ you_ might be working here."

Hermione wasn't sure what her tone implied, but she didn't like it. "It's Hermione _Weasley_ now, actually."

She watched Lavender's face fall as she realized who Hermione was married to. Hermione couldn't help but let a victorious smile spread across her face.

"Oh," Lavender said lightly. "Married my ex, have you? That's quite alright; I mean, until he finds someone new."

"What are you on about?" Hermione said and instantly regretting it; whatever Lavender's trap was, she had fallen into it.

"Hermione, let me tell you something about men. They get bored with things fast; including people. And it's the women who are too clever for their own good whom they get bored with the fastest. Let me put it this way: It's only a matter of time before Ron gets tired of you and your drawling facts and books, and comes back to me."

Lavender gave her a small smug smile that stung Hermione, along with her words. She opened her mouth to shoot an insult back, but she found she was speechless. Lavender left without another word, leaving Hermione to wander through her own thoughts.

The rest of the day, Hermione barely got any work done. The words that Lavender had said had left a gaping hole in her heart. What if she was right? What if Ron was tiring of her? But this couldn't be possible, Ron loved her more than anything, he had told her on countless occasions. Hermione decided to forget about it, but she still could hear Lavender's voice echo throughout her head the rest of the day.

When Hermione arrived home, Ron had decided to cook dinner for the family. He was taking a break from his job as an Auror to take care of Hermione and Rose.

Ron grinned at her in greeting and kissed her softly on the lips. "Hello, my love. Dinner will be ready in a half an hour."

"Alright," Hermione said absently, unable to hide her misery. She picked Rose up, who had been looking at her books on the floor, and carried her upstairs, leaving Ron alone downstairs.

She walked into Rose's nursery and sat with her in the rocking chair until Rose fell asleep in her arms. Hermione clutched the sleeping child to her chest, her only connection she had to Ron.

Finally, she put Rose in her crib and left the room. She walked into her own room and collapsed on her bed, finally allowing herself to cry.

She eventually heard Ron walk into their room, but she didn't dare face him, for fear she would sob harder. She felt his strong arms wrap around her own swollen torso. "What's wrong, love?"

She allowed herself to finally face him. His face was etched with worry and Hermione was thankful for that. "R–Ron, do you think you would ever grow t-tired of me?"

"What?" Ron's tone was full of surprise, and he didn't seem to understand why she was feeling like this. "No, Hermione, I love you! Why would you think that?"

So the story came pouring out. Every word Lavender had said came bitterly out of Hermione's mouth. By the time she was finished, Ron looked absolutely speechless.

Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "Well, say something! I knew she was right, why would you want me when you can have her? And I tricked myself into thinking you wanted me. Now we have a family and I have no idea what to do –"

She gave a yelp of surprise when she was cut off by Ron's lips on hers. He held the kiss for what felt like an eternity, and when he broke away, he looked deep into her eyes, making sure she didn't look away.

"Hermione, you listen to me. This is really important. I need you to know that _I _love _you_. I really regret dating Lavender at all, alright? She was a huge mistake, and I didn't even like her at all. I just can't believe she said that to you. It's not true at all."

He pushed himself against the headboard of the bed, and she sat against him. She heard him whisper in her ear as she leaned her head in the crook of his neck. "Maybe other blokes get tired of their wives fast, but not me. I love everything about you, Hermione. I don't want a dumb girl who can't fight for herself. I need a clever wife who knows everything and will be right next to me in a battle, even if I want her to go home where it's _safe_." He gave her a look that clearly told her that she scared him to no end when she jumped in on battles with him.

"But I still don't care, as long as I can protect her," Ron continued. "I'm yours, Hermione, and I'm going to love you till the end of time."

Hermione smiled as he whispered two last words in her hair, knowing that Lavender had been completely wrong: "And beyond."


	52. Second Time Around

It was only a month before Hermione's due date when something extraordinary happened.

Ron and Rose were at the Burrow with the family one Saturday, only on Hermione's request. She had been feeling suffocated. She loved it when Ron centered all his attention on her, but this week had been too much. Between Ron jumpiness around her (especially since her due date to have the baby was nearing) and Rose's need for attention, Hermione desperately needed a day of solitude.

It hadn't been easy persuading Ron to leave without her. He was uneasy leaving her when she was so close to having their baby. But when she told him she needed only a day, he left reluctantly with Rose.

And as fate would have it, it was on that day did Hermione feel the first jabs of labor pain.

It was also extraordinarily lucky that Ron and Hermione (along with the rest of the Weasley family) decided to get cell phones in the last few months.

It happened while Hermione was reading on the sofa, relaxing in her tranquility, when a sharp pain in her abdomen made her jump and drop her book. She knew she hadn't the strength or concentration for a message by Patronus, so she quickly reached for her phone and dialed Ron's number. It rang once, twice, three more times before it went directly to voicemail. Hermione cursed Ron for leaving his phone off (again) and called Harry instead, whom she knew would pick up.

He did, and informed her that he would Disapparate to her home right away.

As she hung up, there was a loud _pop _and Harry had appeared in front of her in the middle of the living room. He helped her off the couch as the pains got worse.

"Alright, we're going to St. Mungo's Hermione, just relax," Harry said soothingly as he slung her arm over his shoulder for support.

"I'm having….really…. bad contractions!" Hermione gasped. It was as if a thousand scalding knives were stabbing her innards.

"We're going to have to Floo," Harry said as he threw the powder into the fireplace. "It's risky, but it's much better than Disapparating."

Hermione nodded, beads of sweat now running down her face. She only wanted it all to be over; why did it hurt so much to have children?

They Flooed to St. Mungo's and Harry told the receptionist that he had a woman in labor. Hermione was rushed into a hospital room, with Harry closely behind.

While Hermione was changing into a hospital gown, she could hear Harry being questioned in the hallway, outside the closed door.

"Are you the father?" the nurse asked him.

"No," Harry said, "I'm going to send a Patronus her husband as soon as I can. I'm just a friend."

The nurse nodded. "Do you happen to know how far along she is?"

"Eight months." The nurse nodded and strode away. Meanwhile, Hermione was in a hospital bed, and a Healer was talking to her.

"Alright Mrs. Weasley, you're about four centimeters dilated. We're start pushing at eight. Can I leave you alone?"

Hermione nodded, but she desperately wanted Ron or Harry with her.

As if her wish was granted, Harry entered the room as the Healer left. He pulled a true sympathetic face as he sat on the end of the bed and asked, "How's it going?"

"I've been better," Hermione said, grimacing as another contraction made her jump. She _really_ wanted Ron, and possibly the rest of the family….

"Harry, can you send a Patronus to Ron now?" she asked. Harry jumped and said, "Oh! Right! Sorry, forgot." He pulled out his wand and mumbled "_Expecto Patronum_" under his breath. He told the stag Patronus to inform Ron of the situation and no sooner than he had sent the Patronus, did Ron come bursting into the room, looking quite frazzled.

"Hermione!" he gasped, immediately kneeling at her side and gripping her hand. Hermione noticed Harry got off the bed and attempted to blend in with the walls.

But Ron went on. "I'm sorry I didn't answer my phone, I promise I'll answer every call you make to me from now on!"

"Ron, it's alright," Hermione said, squeezing his hand in hers. "I'm just glad you're here now. Where's Rose?"

"I left her with the family, but they'll be here in a moment. _All _of them." Ron grinned as he attempted to make her laugh. She managed a smile, but it soon turned into a frown as another contraction came along.

"Oh, Hermione," Ron said sympathetically, hugging her tightly. "I wish I could take your place, I really do."

"I know," Hermione struggled to smile, the pain passing.

"Erm…I'm going to see if Ginny's here yet," Harry said from the corner. Ron and Hermione both jumped, they both had forgotten he was in the room.

"Only a matter of time now," Ron said once Harry was gone. "Till we have another child."

"Yeah, I know," Hermione said, lying against her pillows.

Ron and Hermione talked for about an hour (with the Healer checking in every so often) until the same Healer came in again and told Hermione they were going to start to push.

"Mr. Weasley, you know the drill, no men allowed," the Healer said sternly. She had almost literally tossed him out of the room at Rose's birth, and Ron knew better than to argue with her. He looked reluctantly at Hermione and kissed her softly on the lips before leaving.

The Healer gave Hermione a potion to reduce the pain and she began to push…

* * *

Moments later, a tiny, fragile figure lay in Hermione's arms as the Healer left to retrieve Ron. A brown tuft of hair grew out of the baby's head and Hermione saw that the boy had Ron's beautiful blue eyes.

Ron entered the room with Rose in his arms, wearing a grin that threatened to rip his face. He kissed Hermione and the baby, gently smoothing the infant's hair.

"He's lovely, isn't he?" Hermione said, grinning up at Ron.

"Yeah," Ron answered, "you did beautifully."

"We did," Hermione corrected. "Shall we name him Hugo?"

Ron nodded as he allowed Rose to sit on the bed and observe her new brother. "Hugo Ronald Weasley."


	53. Ron's News

Two years had passed since the birth of their son, though Ron and Hermione barely had time to realize how fast their children were growing. Rose had begun to read when she was three, as well as receiving her first toy broomstick and reaching a foot off the ground. Now she was four, and she was constantly bragging to her cousins how she was going to be on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team "just like her daddy".

Hugo was less like either of his parents or his sister, and more like his uncle. He seemed to be like Harry in a way, though they weren't blood-related. He had a tendency to be a mystery, and at times, his parents had to guess what he was thinking. Of course, it was probably too early to tell, seeing as he was only two years of age.

Harry and Ginny had had their last child, Lily, soon after Hugo was born.

It was on a day like any other, did Ron come home with the worst news he had heard in ten years.

Hermione had arrived home before him and greeted him cheerily when he walked into the door, as if nothing was wrong, which of course, is exactly what she thought. Ron greeted Rose and Hugo who were attempting to play wizard chess, which he had promised he would one day teach them, along with riding a real broom, degnoming the garden at the Burrow (they thought it looked fun) and playing Quidditch. But this news could surely hold Ron back from teaching his children anything for a while.

He avoided telling the news to Hermione all through dinner. She told him about her day, but she kept shooting him shifty looks, as if she knew he was hiding something, which, Ron had a feeling, she did.

Finally, after dinner, Ron took the liberty of washing the dishes to avoid talking with Hermione. But she sensed something was wrong, he could feel it. After nineteen years of knowing each other, they each knew exactly when the other had something to hide.

Hermione came up behind him as he stood at the sink and wrapped her arms around his waist. "What's wrong, love? You're never this quiet."

"What makes you think something's wrong?"

"Well, you didn't touch your food at dinner, I have to figure something's wrong."

Ron sighed and put the dish he was washing down. He turned around and kissed Hermione soundly and slowly, something he hadn't done in a long time. He looked her in her eyes, which showed how worried she was. "I love you," he told her.

"As I you," Hermione replied sweetly, but a bit confused. "Ron –"

Ron, who had started to walk away, turned on the spot and said, "I need to talk to you, now."

Hermione sighed; finally glad she was able to get him to talk. Ron led her up to their bedroom and locked the door behind them; Rose and Hugo were back to their chess game downstairs.

"What is it?"

Ron sighed. "Hermione, you know how there's been new Death Eaters showing up in the news lately?"

Hermione nodded, scared of where this was going.

"Well…there's been a major breakout of them in Australia. They've been causing a lot of problems, and the muggles are getting suspicious of the disappearances. And my boss wants me and Harry to go on a mission to Australia to gather them up with a bunch of other Aurors."

"How long will it be?" Hermione asked, dreading the answer.

"Two years at the least?" Ron answered meekly.

"_Two years_?"

Ron nodded.

"TWO YEARS?" Hermione's voice rose and Ron retreated a few steps back.

But Hermione's anger was overpowered by her heart. She sank to the ground and stammered, "B-But, why d-do you have to go? I mean, y-you told me you don't go off to b-battle unless it's absolutely n-necessary!"

Ron sank to his knees next to Hermione and gathered her in his arms, hating himself. "Love, this is absolutely necessary. You know I don't want to go, Hermione, I tried every possible way to get out of it, but this is the only way."

"Why don't you quit?" Hermione suggested wildly. "We could live off of my pay, and…"

"Hermione, you know we can't be supported with only your job."

"Then, I'll work two jobs!"

"Hermione," Ron looked closely into her eyes, telling her it was no use. "You know I'm going to miss you like mad, and Rose and Hugo, but there's no way around it."

Hermione got up off the floor and turned her back on him, leaving the room. "That's it. I can't deal with this."

Ron remained on the floor, stung by her last words, wishing he had never become an Auror, and already missing her like mad.


	54. Gone

Two months after Ron told Hermione about his leaving, the family found themselves at the train station with the rest of the Weasley family, along with the Potter family. Hermione had finally let Ron go off to fight the newly-discovered Death Eaters in Australia for two years after a long and heated argument in which Hermione suggested every other possibility, and Ron shot down every one, telling her he had already tried to reason with his boss.

Ginny was equally as distraught as Hermione. Harry would be going with Ron, and in the process, they both would be missing two years of their families' lives.

In the last two months, Ron had caught Hermione, at least once a day, crying while attempting to distract herself. He would try to comfort her, but she would push him away, too furious to face him. Eventually, he completely gave up, feeling as if she would never forgive him.

But she had come today, without any request, and Ron took this as a good sign.

The train whistle sounded and people began to board. The train was due to leave in ten minutes. Ron began to hug his family goodbye, but left his immediate family for last.

Finally, after getting a good squeeze from his mother, Ron turned to Hermione, who held Hugo in her arms with Rose at her side. Her eyes began to well with tears and she handed Hugo to Molly before falling into Ron's arms. She began sobbing hysterically and Ron was sure he could hear both of their hearts breaking. He held her as he had when the wizarding world believed Harry to be dead, the night Voldemort was vanquished. He held her as he had after she had suffered from the Cruciatus Curse. He held her as he had whenever she had needed it, only this time, he meant it more than he had ever meant it before.

As she stood there clinging to him, he thought of what he was about to face. There was a very good chance that he could lose his life. But there was a reason why he had become an Auror.

He wanted to give her a perfect world. He wanted to give Rose and Hugo a perfect world. He knew that by ridding the world of Death Eaters was the closest way he was going to do that. However, everything has consequences, and not seeing his family for two years was one of them.

He finally had enough willpower to let go of her and lean down to Rose and Hugo. He told Rose he would teach her how to ride a broom as soon as he came back. He told Hugo he would teach him how to play wizard chess. He hugged his children tightly, barely holding back tears at the thought of the next time he would see them.

He straightened up and turned back to Hermione. Then he kissed her with a force that had been unfamiliar to the both of them for the last twelve years. She didn't back off, and responded for what felt like an eternity.

They were interrupted by the last minute train whistle. He broke away from her and whispered, "I love you."

She repeated his words with tears running down her face. Then he boarded the train and waved to the mass of Weasleys and Potters. He watched Rose and Hugo wave along with Hermione. Then the train turned a corner and they were gone.


	55. Letters

_4 September 2011_

_Dear Hermione, _

_I have been away from you for a year, but it's felt like I haven't seen your face in thousands of years. Today marks the three hundred sixty-fifth letter, but it feels like the millionth._

_I miss you so much it physically hurts. I have a few photos of you and Rose and Hugo, but I don't think that's enough. Can you send more? It's been a year; I don't know how much you all have changed._

_Right now, we're by the ocean, and it makes me think of you. Sometimes it's calm and you think there could never be anything more beautiful. And then, sometimes it's so angry, it could kill, but it's still just as beautiful as it was when it was calm. That reminds me of you._

_We usually catch Death Eaters daily, but it's been slow in the last few weeks. Harry and me think they're planning something big. _

_How are Rose and Hugo? Is Rosie showing any signs of possessing the famous Hermione Granger brains? Is Hugo showing any interest in anything besides being a mystery? Hope so._

_And what about you? I only hope you didn't decide to ditch me and go off marrying another bloke (pun intended, please don't kill me). Are you seeing Ginny at all? I've been writing her too, and by the sound of it, you're not getting out too much when you're not working. Love, _please _do something. Go out with Ginny and Angelina and have fun. Forget about me for now…well, not completely: at least write, alright?_

_I love you all so much. One year down, one to go._

_Love, _

_Ron_

* * *

_8 September 2011_

_Dear Ron, _

_I'm sorry I haven't been writing as much as you, but I don't have as much time on my hands as you seem to have. _

_I've enclosed a few newer pictures of Rose, Hugo and I at the Burrow for Rose's birthday today. I don't think we've changed much, but I suppose you will probably think differently. I really wished you could've been there. She turned five today, but all she asked for was for you to come home to teach her how to ride a broom. _

_I miss you so much. It really does feel like more than a year. I feel like I've aged fifty years since you've left. _

_I took Rose and Hugo to Diagon Alley yesterday, which reminded me of you. We went into George's shop, which reminded me of when you were working there. Basically, I can't get you out of my head. _

_Rose has developed a great love for books much too advanced for her (no surprise there). I also got to witness Hugo's first sign of magic the other day. I turned my back on him for half a moment and when I turn back, he's literally walking up the kitchen wall! I told him his daddy would be so proud to know his son isn't a Squib._

_You'll be glad to hear that took your advice and had a girl's night with the rest of the Weasley women last Saturday night, Ginny even got your mum to come. We left the children at the Burrow with the males and we were quite surprised to come home to see the house still standing._

_I've been writing Harry, and according to him, you've been on a roll when it comes to catching Death Eaters. I'm so proud of you, Ron. I always knew you had the makings of an Auror, even if you didn't think so._

_You have no idea how much I miss you right now, especially after I see the rest of your brothers with their wives, happy and together. Then I look at Ginny and realize I'm not so alone. _

_One year down, one to go._

_I love you more than anything, _

_Hermione_


	56. Harry's News

It was a year and a half after Ron had left when Hermione got the call.

Ron had stopped writing. He had told her in his last letter that it was better to stop writing because the Death Eaters had begun to track the Aurors' families by their mail for sabotage.

The doorbell rang early on that fateful day. Hermione heard it from upstairs while waking Rose and Hugo. She wrapped her bathrobe tighter around herself and cautiously walked downstairs.

Through the oddly distorted design of the glass on the door, Hermione could see a tall, muscular figure standing outside. It couldn't be…

She whipped open the door, and there standing, looking scarred but very much alive, was Harry.

"HARRY!" She flew into his arms and squeezed him tightly. She had never been so relieved to see him before. "Oh Harry, I've been so worried! Where's Ron? Is he alright? Is –"

She stopped dead when she glanced at Harry's face. "Harry, what's happened?" she asked, her voice now quite quiet.

"Hermione," Harry said, his voice deadly serious, "I need you to sit down."

Hermione's knees went limp when she realized why he was here. "Harry, what's happened?" she repeated, her voice shaking as she ignored Harry's request.

"Hermione, Ron's gone missing."

It was as if the world had released a thousand dementors on Hermione to suck out her soul. All breath left every part of her body as she collapsed into the nearest chair.

"When?" she managed to ask, when words blessed her with their presence.

"Just a few days ago. They sent me to come tell you. A few Death Eaters took him in the night." Harry's voice shook, and he fell silent. Hermione looked up and saw that like hers, Harry's eyes were filled with unshed tears.

"He's going to come back," Hermione said, trying to be hopeful, but the tears were threatening to fall. "He's Ron, he always comes back!"

"Hermione," Harry paused and shook his head. "I don't think there's much hope –"

"Don't say that!" Hermione snapped at him. "He _has _to be alive; he can't just die and leave me alone after TWENTY BLOODY YEARS!"

She finally broke down into sobs; heartbroken, true sobs. She was only vaguely aware of Harry wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly and sobbing with her.

Finally, Harry faced her and said, "He'll turn up again. He will." Hermione nodded, and hoped to every powerful force she could think of that what Harry said was true.

She hoped more than anything that Ron was somewhere in the world, still alive. She had to.


	57. The Stranger

Six months had passed since Harry had arrived on Hermione's doorstep with his horrible news.

Being eternally famous, Harry had many connections. The Ministry had been searching for Ron, and the law stated that after a year, if he was not discovered dead or alive, he would be pronounced legally dead. But Harry had persuaded the Ministry to extend the search time, and of course, they listened to him, with Harry being "the Chosen One". Plus, both Ron and Hermione had become somewhat famous as the sidekicks of Harry Potter, since Voldemort's vanquish.

The search was still active a week after Ron was supposed to return home, two years after he had left. At this time, Hermione was home alone, while Rose and Hugo were at the Burrow for the weekend.

Hermione sat on the sofa, flipping through a photo album from her Hogwarts days, and thinking of Ron. She still missed him every hour of every day, but she never gave up hope that he would come back.

Hermione cooked herself dinner, cleaned up after, and stood at the sink as she watched the sun set.

She was so focused on the sun and her thoughts that she jumped about a foot when she heard the front door open and close quietly.

She gripped her wand and crept to the front hallway, being careful not to make a sound, in case she had to attack the intruder.

She peeked around the corner and saw a tall, ragged-looking man in grimy robes looking around, his back to her.

"Stop."

When he turned around, she had stepped out from behind the shadows and pointed her wand at him from three feet away.

But as she looked more closely, she realized there was something oddly familiar about this man…he looked like he had recently escaped from being imprisoned, but she recognized those blue eyes…

"Ron," she whispered, lowering her wand. She stared at him as if he was something extraordinary, and he grinned back at her, mouthing her name. Then, as if in a dream and not fully aware of what she was doing, she ran to him and practically jumped into his arms.

She kissed him more fiercely then she had ever done, desperately trying to put all the unsaid words she wanted to tell him into the one kiss. He responded just as fiercely, and they both left the real world to escape to their own private world that they loved.

When she got enough courage to allow him to place her feet back on the ground, she looked into his eyes, and saw two years of Ron's life that she had missed.

"Where have you _been_?" she asked, almost angrily, tears welling in her eyes, but her hands never left his face. "Harry came home six months ago and told me you had gone _missing_…everyone in the wizarding world have been searching –"

Ron cut her off by his famous way of kissing her when she was talking too much. "You need to calm down, Hermione. I was taken by the Death Eaters, they kept me imprisoned just to torture me, and I escaped, let's just leave it at that."

"But –"

"I don't want to talk about it right now. I just want to look at you." Ron's eyes took in every feature of her face, making her blush. "You haven't changed too much. You're so beautiful, Hermione."

She loved it when he said her name, and she had sorely missed hearing it. She stared back at Ron and realized how much he had changed. His red hair was longer and untidy from being imprisoned for so long. He looked thinner, like he had been starved, and his blue eyes had dark shadows underneath, as if he hadn't slept in a while.

Another rush of emotions passed over Hermione, and she gripped his body against hers again. "I missed you so much," she said against his robes as she listened to his heart beat rapidly.

"And I you," Ron said, returning her embrace just as tightly. "I love you so much. I promise I'll never leave you for that long again, Hermione."

Hermione smiled against him and looked sternly up at him. She could tell through his eyes that he was dead serious. "You better not. I'm never allowing you to leave again." She squeezed his torso to her own and breathed him in, allowing her hands to wrap around his shoulders from behind.

She stood there holding Ron for what felt like an eternity. Finally, she reluctantly left his embrace to grasp his hand, and they both Apparated to the Burrow to retrieve Rose and Hugo.


	58. Freedom and Flying

Six months had passed since Ron's unexpected reappearance, and he had eventually told Hermione exactly what had happened while he was imprisoned by the Death Eaters.

He had been tortured almost daily (by the Cruciatus Curse) in order for the Death Eaters to get the location of Harry and Hermione. They had tortured him countless times, but he had never given in. At one point, they tried starving him, at which time Ron had decided to give up.

That was the moment which saved Ron's life. He then heard Hermione's voice come from the Deluminator in his pocket, just as he had when he had left Harry and Hermione on their hunt for Horcruxes. From what he could hear, it sounded as though Hermione was yelling at someone else about Ron (Hermione later realized this was the time Harry had delivered the news about Ron's disappearance). From there, Ron made a resolution to get out of the Death Eaters' imprisonment. He had wrestled a wand from a Death Eater and conquered them all, right before fleeing back to Britain. Naturally, and encouraged by a long complaint by an enraged Hermione, the Auror Department promised they would not be sending Ron on a two-year mission for a long time.

Of course, Ron and Hermione hadn't explained this to Rose and Hugo, knowing they were much too young to understand. Both of the children were convinced that their father had gone on a very long vacation.

Now, as Hermione lay next to her husband, watching him sleep, she realized that there would be a day in which she would have to explain every dangerous moment that had happened to Ron and herself since they had become best friends with Harry Potter, and sworn themselves eternally into fighting the evils of the wizarding world. But for now, she would enjoy the ignorance of her children, though their knowledge was increasing every day.

Hermione glanced up at Ron, who was sleeping on his side, facing her. It was six thirty, according to her bedside clock, and the sun was spilling through the thin white curtains that were drawn over their windows. It was Saturday, and Ron had promised to take Rose riding on his broom today, and, if she was lucky, maybe even teach her the basics of riding a broom.

Hermione sighed, and instead of starting the usual ritual of getting dressed and waking everyone else, she simply laid in bed next to Ron, taking in every feature of his face.

Over the years, his flaming red hair had faded to a rusty orange color, but it was still very much Weasley-ish. Every freckle that Hermione had memorized on his face was still there, though they had faded, much to Ron's delight. His face had grown from a boy's to a man's since the end of the war. His jaw had extended, along with his already long nose. As Hermione looked at the man she had known for so long, she realized this was the first time she had noticed these differences. She had watched him grow for so long that she hadn't realized how he _had_ changed since they had first met.

Her eyes dropped to Ron's hands. Taking one in her hand, she uncurled it to size it up with her own. His hands had always been about four times bigger than hers, but they had always fit perfectly together. She interlaced their fingers together and lightly traced the shape of his nose with her finger. At this, Ron cracked his eyes open and she saw the blue irises she had long ago memorized. He shot her his lopsided grin, which never failed to make her smile.

"You're taking Rose out on your broom today," she said finally, trying to keep the sternness in her voice.

"I know," Ron said simply, still grinning like an idiot. He scooted closer to her and started playing with her hair, twisting his fingers in it before gently kissing her forehead.

Suddenly, a loud banging came from behind their bedroom door, making them both jump, and Rose's voice came carried through the door.

"GET UP DAD! YOU'RE TAKING ME FLYING!"

Ron groaned and pulled the blankets over his head and Hermione smirked. "You did promise her, you know."

He rolled out of bed and headed to the bathroom. "I know."

"Ron!"

"What?"

Hermione shot him a meaningful glance, both serious and worried. "Be careful with her. I don't want to lose either of you."

Ron approached her and grasped her hands. "I will. Don't worry so much, Hermione. You know I'm not going to let anything happen to her." He winked at her and turned to the bathroom.

Hermione smiled to herself and said under her breath, "I know."

* * *

An hour later, after Hermione had gotten Rose and Hugo dressed and forced them to finish their breakfast, Ron finally led his daughter out to the empty field a few blocks from their home, Hermione and Hugo in tow.

As Hermione watched nervously as her husband pulled their daughter onto the back of his broom, just as he had did numerous times with herself, she realized how meaningless her life had been while Ron was gone for those two years.

She watched as Ron and Rose ascended to the clouds, and found she was gripping Hugo's hand so tightly he was desperately trying to wriggle free. She withdrew her hand and Hugo inspected it, then shot her a reproachful look, which reminded her so much of herself. She smiled and scooped him up in her arms.

Suddenly, and out of nowhere, Ron came swooping down from the sky, Rose screaming gleefully behind him. Hermione swore loudly and glared after her husband, who had shot up straight towards the sky once again.

"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione yelled, terrified he would slip up and they would both crash to the ground. "I told you to be careful!"

"She wanted to go faster!" Hermione faintly heard Ron's delighted voice from beyond the hills they had headed toward. She caught a last glance at them; they were no more than a speck in the sky.

"C'mon, Hugo," Hermione said, taking out her wand and _accioing_ a few books from their house. "I'll read to you. Your father and Rosie are going to be awhile."


	59. Ron's Secret

Two years after Ron had taken Rose out to fly on his broom; Rose had become a very proficient flyer. In that time, Ron had also taught Hugo how to ride, who had also taken to Quidditch very quickly.

And all the while, Hermione found she wasn't very happy with her life at the moment.

The conflict had started one day when Ron had purposely started an argument with her for the first time since he returned.

The fight had ended like this:

"Hermione, would you stop being a know-it-all for five seconds?" Ron had shouted at her exasperatedly, his face red from arguing so much. "It's driving me mad!"

"Fine, Ron!" Hermione shouted back, her face equally red. "If I'm such a know-it-all, I suppose you don't need me anymore!"

Ron had looked like he wanted nothing more than to take back everything he had said, but she turned away from him, disgusted, gathered Rose and Hugo, and left for her parents' house in London.

Looking back, she couldn't remember what had started the shouting match. She hadn't fought that strongly with Ron since they were teens. Now it felt strange and foreign. But she _did_ know that it was Ron who had stormed into their home from work after a bad day, it was Ron who had been in a bad mood, and it was Ron who desired to fight with her only to spread around his anger. _She_ had done nothing to deserve it.

Ron had arrived on her parents' doorstep the next day with a bouquet of roses, and of course, he had quickly been forgiven. It had only been a stupid argument.

But as the days went on after this one quarrel, Hermione began to notice that she and Ron would break out fighting more and more. Usually it was about very little things that didn't matter, and that's what scared Hermione. When they used to argue, it was about bigger things that seemed to matter more when they were younger, but still mattered nonetheless. Now they would break out arguing every few moments.

Hermione wasn't sure she could take the constant bickering for much longer. She loved Ron more than anything, but it seemed like she was losing the sweet, loving, prat she had fallen in love with, only to be replaced by a moody, dark, snappish shadow of Ron Weasley.

It was also mysterious how less she saw of Ron. Over time, she had stopped seeing him around work because the Auror department had been moved to the other side of the Ministry. Ron also arrived home two hours later than herself, and he barely talked to her when he finally did arrive home.

One day, after a particularly nasty argument in which Ron had brought up Viktor Krum after nearly ten years, he had finally reduced Hermione to tears for the first time since they were eighteen. As she turned her back on him to leave the room, she caught his hard glare soften only the slightest at the sight of her tears. However, he let her leave without another word.

Hermione cried in their bedroom for the rest of the day. Nine-year-old Rose wandered in after witnessing her parents' fight and Hermione spilled her feelings out to her daughter. Eventually, Rose left after Hermione's request and Hermione fell into a dreamless sleep.

The next time Hermione woke, it was dusk. She could hear the television blaring downstairs, and knew Ron was probably watching it. Lying in bed, she finally decided what to do.

She headed downstairs with her head held high, walked in front of the television, and turned off the Muggle baseball game that Ron was watching. Ron's mouth opened in protest, but Hermione held up a hand to stop him. "We need to talk. And I really need you to answer me honestly when I ask questions and I need you to respond maturely without bringing up anything in our past." She kept eye contact with him and made sure he didn't break it. "Please, Ron. Our marriage is at risk here."

At those words, Ron's eyes widened and he nodded slowly.

"Thank you," Hermione said, sitting down in front of him and taking his hands in hers. "Ron, what's happening with us? Why are we fighting so much? We haven't fought like this since we were teenagers."

Ron sighed. "I don't know, Hermione. I guess I've been starting it, I haven't really been in a good mood lately."

Hermione could understand this, but she wasn't completely convinced that it was only a bad mood. "But – why? I mean –" Tears were springing to her eyes and her voice was starting to shake. "You act like you _hate _me; do you really not care for me anymore? You haven't told me you love me since I don't know when – you need to tell me, Ron: do you really want me out of your life?"

At this point, Hermione saw tears shining in Ron's eyes for the first time in fifteen years. He shook his head vigorously. "No, Hermione, _no_. That's not it at_ all._ I love you more than anything." He squeezed her hands to convince her, and Hermione accepted that their relationship was not the reason for Ron's moodiness.

"Then what is it?" she asked, more confused than ever. "Why have you been so moody lately with _me_? Why have you been purposely starting these fights with me?"

Ron's hands suddenly left hers and made it to her face, where they wiped away her tears while cupping her face in his palms. He stared deep into her eyes, and she suddenly knew he was hiding something from her.

"I'm going to tell you something, Hermione," he said, his eyes never leaving hers. "But I need you to be understanding, like I know you can be, and I need you to forgive me, for both our sakes, and Rose and Hugo too."

Hermione nodded silently, dreading the worst. She closed her eyes, not wanting to hear what he had to say next…

"I was fired."

Hermione's eyes shot open. His hands were still on her face, but she jumped away from him as if she had been shocked. "You were _fired_?" she asked in disbelief, emotions swirling around inside her, not knowing what to think. "When?"

Ron glared down at his feet and looked as though he thoroughly regretted saying anything. "Three weeks ago," he said softly.

Hermione's eyebrows shot up in shock and her hands flew to her hips. "Three weeks ago and you didn't tell ME?"

Ron was silent. Hermione couldn't believe him; since when did he keep secrets from _her_? "So when were you actually planning to tell me? When the money runs out?"

"I wanted to tell you tonight, but…" Ron trailed off and looked away again.

"But _what_?" Hermione asked. "What reason do you have for keeping a secret like _this _from _me?_" Ron, I've known you and Harry longer than anyone else, and I know _you _better than I know myself. This isn't like you, just tell me –"

"FINE, HERMIONE!" Ron suddenly burst out. Hermione stepped back a half a step, startled by his outburst, but very unwilling to back down. "I wanted to tell you tonight, but I got angry again because I was so _stupid for_ losing my job, so I chickened out! I've been going round town for the past three weeks to find a job, but no one's hiring!" Ron stopped and exhaled, still breathing heavily. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to think I'm a failure! I knew I would disappoint you, so I thought if I found a new job, I wouldn't have to face you."

Hermione's expression softened. Even after fifteen years, Ron still had very low self-esteem when it came to pleasing his family and everyone else.

There was a moment of silence, and then Hermione spoke. "Why did you get fired?"

Ron was silent again. Then he said, "I yelled at my Head of Department. A lot."

"_What?_ Why?" Only a few months before, a certain man by the name of Zacharias Smith (who had been Head of the Improper Use of Magic Office) had been accepted as Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Department. Hermione knew Ron hated Smith, and could only guess what he was going to tell her next.

"He was on a rampage. Honestly, he was yelling at everyone, telling us we're all terrible Aurors and that we'll never be fit to capture criminals. Then he started yelling at Harry, and he brought his parents into it. He started screaming at Harry that his parents would be disgusted with his work, and Harry just stood there like a statue. I finally couldn't take it anymore and I yelled at him that Harry was ten times the Auror he could ever be. And then…he brought you into it."

Hermione looked up from the spot on the floor she had been staring at as she listened; Ron's face was growing red, and his whole body was shaking.

"He said…he said that I should've never become an Auror and that I could go home to my Mudblood wife."

Hermione closed her eyes momentarily; she knew how angry prejudice wizards made Ron, especially when they call her a Mudblood.

"So I cursed him. Just the Jelly Leg Jinx, but he told me I could get out of his office and never come back." He laughed bitterly. "Smith is such a bloody idiot, I'm shocked Kingsley allowed him the Head of Department job."

Hermione buried her head in hands. Pictures of Ron and Smith screaming at each other came to her mind.

"Ron, you great prat!" Hermione yelled angrily. "Why can't you hold your anger in for once? And do you really think I care what anyone calls me anymore? I've been called a Mudblood hundreds of times, and it got old a long time ago!"

Ron glared at her, looking as if he would fight back, but to her surprise, he shut his mouth and sat down. At this sight, she suddenly lost the urge to argue, and sat down next to him. "So what are we going to do? Does this mean you can't work for the Ministry?"

"No, I can work for the Ministry, just not in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. But I reckon Harry'll try to get my job back, and he probably could, being Head Auror and all.

"Ron, you're only trained for the Auror Department! How do you expect to get a job anywhere else in the Ministry?"

Ron seemed to wilt on the spot. Now, Hermione knew, he was wishing he had paid better attention while he was in school at Hogwarts. "I don't know," he said softly, staring at his clenched hands between his knees.

At this apparent pathetic display, Hermione kneeled next to Ron and grasped his hands in hers. "So what are you going to do?" she asked quietly.

Ron stared at a spot on the floor, and she could tell his mind was millions of miles away, struggling to think of a solution.

"I reckon I should stay away from the Ministry for a while, just until this whole thing blows over. We can easily survive on your pay." He tried to feebly flash her one of his you're-great-at-everything-and-I'm-a-prat smile, but Hermione didn't fall for it.

"Fine, but this doesn't mean you're staying home and doing nothing. I'm making sure you're getting a full-time job, whether it's at the Ministry or a twenty-four-hour diner." Hermione stood up and crossed her arms, her sudden tenderness melting away as her anger boiling once again as she turned away from Ron.

"Hermione."

She turned and shot him an exasperated look. However, the look he was shooting her almost melted her bitterness away.

Almost.

He stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist, taking her into his arms. "I really am sorry. I just couldn't stand this guy anymore, and I wanted to tell him how I really felt."

Hermione gave a half smile for Ron's sake, which never failed to paint a full grin on his face. She took his face in her palms and looked as deep as she could into his eyes. "Ron, I need to know that there won't be anymore secrets between us. No more secrets. I need you to promise me that."

Ron nodded frantically, willing to do anything to get Hermione's forgiveness. She kept her eyes locked on his, searching to see if he meant it.

"I mean it," she said, sounding more serious than she had ever been. "You need to promise with your life. This is very important, Ron."

"I do promise, Hermione. I'll never do something like this again, I know it was stupid." Hermione finally saw that one spark in his eyes which told her that he_ did_ mean it with every ounce in his body. She smiled and softly kissed him on the lips.

"Don't do this to me again," she said seriously.

"I won't," he responded solemnly, and Hermione knew he would never do something _this _stupid again.


	60. Hermione's Diary

Six months after Ron's shocking confession to Hermione, he had finally found work after twenty four worrisome and frightening weeks. Thankfully, it was still in the magical world, so Ron need not pretend he was a muggle, much to Hermione's disappointment ("You're lucky George had an opening, or you would be clearing tables at a muggle diner!"). George had given Ron a job at Weasley Wizard Wheezes, just as he had almost ten years previously.

Rose and Hugo, on the other hand, found their father's job very cool. They had never been alive to see all the free merchandise he received the last time he had worked in his brother's shop. So almost daily, Ron came home with packages of Ton-Tongue Toffee, Nosebleed Nougat, Edible Dark Marks, Reusable Hangmen, Dungbombs, and plenty of Weasley Wizard Wheezes fireworks. However, Hermione immediately confiscated almost all the items, and told Ron that anything George invented was far too dangerous for her young children. Nevertheless, she allowed them to keep the less dangerous items, such as the Reusable Hangman.

It was on a day like any other when Ron discovered something hidden away in the bedside table next to Hermione's side of the bed that he had never known about his wife.

He hadn't meant to find it, of course. He had been looking for a quill - "Do I have to do a bloody spell every time I want to find a bloody quill in this house?" – and instead found a very old, small leather bound book.

Usually, Ron wouldn't have looked twice at this book, assuming it was one of Hermione's thousands. But what caught his eye was the small, fancy cursive at the bottom of the cover, which looked like it had been carved with magic: Hermione Jean Granger. Then, after "Granger", squeezed into the very corner of the cover and looking like it had almost run off the book, was a small word Ron could barely make out: Weasley.

Curious, Ron opened the book, suspected he probably should not, but unable to help himself.

As he flipped through the book, he quickly realized this was Hermione's diary. Her first entry was dated 1 September 1991 and her most recent entry was dated 26 August 2016. She had been writing in the diary since her first day of Hogwarts.

Inquisitive, Ron flipped through the book and read a random entry dated late 1993.

_Ron's furious with me. He suspects Crookshanks ate his stupid rat, even though he has absolutely no proof. I don't know why he's making such a fuss; he had always been complaining about Scabbers, about how old and boring he was. _

_Anyway, I have enough to worry about without Ron acting like a stupid git. Harry's worried Sirius Black is after him and I have almost no free time because of my classes. I feel like I'm going mad because I only get about two hours of sleep a night anymore. I think Ron's getting suspicious about the Time Turner; he notices when I'm a bit late for class. _

Ron immediately stopped reading at this; Hermione sounded really worn down in this entry, and he hated hearing how much pain he had caused her during their school years. Flipping a few pages ahead, he started a new entry dated 25 December 1994.

_Honestly, why I hang around that git I will never know. Ron Weasley is officially christened, at least in my mind, the most clueless prat on earth. I was having a perfectly nice time at the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum, and Ron has to go and ruin the whole evening for me!_

Shaking his head, Ron didn't finish this entry either. As soon as he read the words "Viktor Krum" he couldn't read anymore.

Hoping there would be no more mention of Krum for the rest of her diary, Ron flipped to another entry farther into the book dated 30 November 1996.

_He doesn't get it at all. Do all those moments we've spent alone mean nothing to him? When I finally think we're getting somewhere, he does some spontaneous action to ruin it all._

_First, he didn't listen to me when I _saw _Harry put something in his drink at breakfast. It turned out that Harry had faked putting Felix Felicis into his potion to boost his confidence, but still! How was I to know, or anyone for that matter?_

_Anyway, he won the game for Gryffindor, bully for him, and as I was coming back from the stadium, I saw him with _her _and I tried to run for it before I could catch much more, but then he saw me, grabbed her, and stuck his tongue down the tramp's throat right in front of me. _

_Of course, I know he's trying to hurt me, because he's doing a brilliant job of it. And he had to pick Lavender Brown, because he knew I would be hearing about him 24/7 while Lavender talked nonstop to Parvati in our dorm about him._

_Ginny told me though. She told me she had let it slip that I had kissed Viktor Krum, and for some reason he got upset. I know the reason. I've known for a long time. He's completely jealous, and he's using a pretty poor method of trying to get back at me. _

_But I'm not backing down. He's not going to break me. This is war._

Ron shuddered as he finished the entry. It had indeed been war. For the next few months up until he had been poisoned, he and Hermione had ignored each other completely, with a few hexes and jinxes tossed in. Hermione would occasionally throw a Trip jinx in Ron's direction when he was strutting around with Lavender, thinking he was the best thing to ever hit Hogwarts, which would make him stumble and look around confused. Then, whenever Hermione passed, Ron would make sure he grabbed Lavender and started snogging her at the exact moment Hermione walked by.

Shaking his head at his teenage stupidity, Ron turned the pages again and stopped at 20 June 1997.

_Ron and Harry have both changed, especially since I first met them, of course. Between the both of them, I have to say Ron's changed more, and for the better. Harry is still noble and brave Harry, but Ron…he's gone from immature prat to moody, jealous git, to an actual mature adult. Well, not _completely_ mature, but that's Ron. _

_Honestly though, ever since he was poisoned and Lavender dumped him, he's been really decent toward me, and I think he's really grown up. When we were forced into battle a month ago at school, he promised me that whatever happens in the next year, he wouldn't let anything happen to Harry and me. He saved me from being bitten by a werewolf in the battle, and I don't think he would've done that if we were still furious with each other. _

_I know I fancy Ron Weasley now, especially since he's done his growing up. And I actually think he might fancy me._

Ron shivered with delight at how relieved he had been when Hermione had first told him she loved him. He flipped through the book once again and ended up on 8 November 1997.

_Ron and Harry are both scaring me. We've been taking turns wearing Slytherin's locket, but there seems to be a really unfriendly vibe around us all. Harry goes off on his own a lot while he's wearing it. I don't know where he goes, but I don't really want to know what's going through his head._

_Ron scares me most of all. He gets really snappish and mean while he's wearing it, and I see a side of him I've never really seen. He says and does things he would never say or do in his normal state._

_As for me, I try not to go off at them while wearing it, but it's hard. The thing seems to know my worst fears and it's constantly whispering them through my head._

_I think we're all going mad inside this tiny tent, even without the help of the locket. Our days are numbered by now, and we all know it._

Ron frowned at this entry and clenched his fists to stop himself from strangling himself. _Why_ had he lashed out at Hermione and Harry like that on those many occasions? He knew it was the locket, but he _hated _being controlled by something so insignificant.

Instead of flipping to a new entry, Ron went through the diary, page by page, simply scanning the sentences in Hermione's miniscule handwriting.

_This war is finally over and Ron has made me happier than I had ever been…Ron and Harry have gone off to Auror Training, they said they'll write, but I'm still going to miss them like mad…Harry and Ginny are getting married, I wish Ron would propose soon…I'm getting married to Ron in two months and there is still so much to do…I'm worried about Ron, he's been having dreams about the war and Malfoy Manor…The baby is due in four months and Ron's been such a big help, along with Harry and Ginny, which is saying something because Ginny is pregnant too…Ron and I are so proud, we've had a baby girl we've named Rose Hermione…I'm pregnant again, but I don't know how to tell Ron, we didn't plan for this one, I don't know what to do…Ron's made me feel better about the pregnancy…We've had our second child named Hugo Ronald…I don't know how to deal with this, Ron just told me he'll be away for two years…Ron's been writing a lot, and I'm feeling better about him being gone, but I miss him so much each day…Ron's returned! I'm so glad he escaped the Death Eaters, he was so close to being killed…Ron's acting different, we're getting into more fights every day, and I don't know what to do, I don't want to lose him…Ron's just told me he was fired…Ron's found a new job…Ron…Ron…Ron…_

"Ron, what are you doing?"

Ron jumped a mile and turned to see a suspicious-looking Hermione at the doorway. He quickly hid the diary behind his back and said with a very obvious hint of guilt in his voice, "Nothing!"

Hermione, however, was not fooled. "What have you got behind your back?" she asked, trying to get a good look around him. Ron simply backed up against the bedside table and tried to slip it back into the drawer, but miscalculated and the diary fell with a _thump_ on the floor behind him.

Hermione's eyes widened in shock. "Is that my _journal_?"

Ron turned red from head to toe. "Well – yeah – but –"

"Ronald Weasley, how _dare_ you!" She snatched up the book and faced him angrily. "How old are you? Don't you have to be twelve and under to snoop through girls' journals?"

Ron got over his embarrassment and smirked. "Well, according to a certain entry you wrote in 1997, you seemed to think I grew up at the age of seventeen."

Hermione swelled and fumed, finally letting out a soft scream at him, and leaving the room, unable to argue.

"Hey beautiful!"

Hermione turned around, shooting daggers at him through her eyes for using his nickname for her during a time when she's furious with him.

Ron grinned at her; he always thought she looked her best when she was furious. "Just so you know, I fancy you too."

Hermione rolled her eyes, and left, but Ron was sure he saw a bit of a smile cross her face before she left.


	61. Muggle Driving

Four months after Ron had found Hermione's diary, Hermione had signed up for a driver's education class, feeling like she finally had to learn how to drive a car after putting it off throughout her teen years because of the war. She now had her permit and used every opportunity to practice driving with her parents or Harry, who had gotten his license three years previously.

Ron, on the other hand, found the whole thing to be a bit silly. Hermione had been trying to persuade him to sign up for a class too, and he was convinced that you don't need a license as long as you have common sense.

"Who needs a_ license_ for driving?" he ranted to Hermione. "I drove a _flying car _at the age of twelve –"

"– Right into the Whomping Willow," finished Hermione. "Honestly Ron, it's dead useful when we're in the Muggle World, and I really think you should get a license too."

Ron scoffed and shook his head at her obvious absurdity.

"Okay, Hermione," he said in a voice drenching with sarcasm. Hermione rolled her eyes and left the room.

Ron had enough to worry about without Hermione nagging him to get a license. Rose was going to Hogwarts in just seven short months, and Ron really didn't want her to go. Teddy Lupin had left just a year ago, and Bill and Fleur's children had already been at Hogwarts for many years, Victoire would be a seventh year this year. However, Harry had tried to make him feel a bit better.

"C'mon Ron, in James' first year, he adapted straight away. Plus, Rose will have all her cousins with her, so she won't be completely alone."

Ron looked doubtfully at him, but Harry determinedly stared straight on back. "Ron, you had all your brothers with you when you arrived at Hogwarts, and you'll never know how it feels to not know anyone in a new place."

Ron suddenly felt sorry that he had doubted Harry's thinking. "Harry, look mate, I'm sorry, I had forgotten –"

"Hey, mate, it's alright," Harry grinned. "I know you didn't mean it, just be glad Rose has her family with her at Hogwarts."

After this discussion, Harry Apparated back to his home next to Ron and Hermione's, and Ron walked into the living room where Hermione and Rose were teaching Hugo how to play Exploding Snap, which he seemed to have taken an interest in. Ron grinned at the sight of his family and stood in the doorway, admiring all of them.

"That's it, Hugo – now wait your turn while Rose goes…" Hermione was saying.

Ron stared at her, unable to help himself. She was still the most beautiful thing in his mind. Over the years since he first had met her, her bushy hair had tamed itself naturally into more curly strands than frizzy as she grew into it. Her brown eyes were as bright as ever, but since the war, they had somehow lost that lovely spark they had had when they were in school. They still would light up whenever Hermione found a new book she was interested in, or when Ron told her how beautiful she was. But they no longer had that glint of true innocent happiness, of no worries. Ron knew this probably happened because of all the grief that had happened during the war and she possibly could've grown out of that childhood, no-worry happiness. Whatever the reason, Ron knew he probably would never see that spark again.

Ron woke from his reverie to see Hermione glancing at him, shooting him that special smile he knew was only for him. "Did Harry leave?"

"Yeah," Ron grinned. He sat down in between Hermione and Hugo.

"What are you smirking about?" she asked him, that smile still playing at her lips.

"Nothing. Mind if I join?" he asked, indicating the Exploding Snap game.

"Sure, we're almost done with this game."

They spent the next two hours alone playing Exploding Snap. Hugo became really good at it and managed to burn three good-sized holes through the carpet.

That night, after Rose and Hugo had gone to bed, Ron joined Hermione at the sink where she was doing the dishes muggle-style. Ron grabbed a towel and began to help her. She did the washing while he dried, shooting a grateful smile at him, which he returned. They stood in comfortable silence for awhile until Hermione spoke up.

"Ron, you really should try for your license."

Ron rolled his eyes, exhausted by Hermione's persistence. "Hermione, I've told you, I don't need one if I can Disapparate –"

"What about Rose and Hugo?" Hermione demanded right away. "They can't Apparate, and they _cannot _do Side-Along, it's too risky –"

"Hermione, it's stupid! The whole bloody thing is stupid!" Ron threw down the towel and signed heavily. Silence fell between the two, silence that drowned Ron from the inside, and he didn't dare look around at her face, for fear the look she shot him would burn a hole right through his face.

"You know what?" Ron said finally, looking round at Hermione, who was looking stony. "Fine! I'll do it your way for once, Hermione. But if the whole thing's rubbish, I'm getting out of it straight away –"

Hermione beamed and looked victorious. "I love you, Ron!" she said before hugging him tightly around the waist. Ron, completely confused on what caused this act of compassion, asked:

"So I take it you like it when we agree?"


	62. King's Cross

Exactly twenty-six years after meeting his best friends on the Hogwarts Express, Ron Weasley found himself exactly where he had started, on platform nine and three quarters; only now he had a daughter to send off to Hogwarts.

Ron had proudly driven his family to King's Cross, having received his license a month earlier, only two weeks after Hermione had received hers. He had found out, almost straight away, that driving wasn't a bad skill to learn. Though he hadn't told Hermione, he had Confunded the instructor for his driver's test, just for a moment, a moment in which Ron panicked and forgot to look in his winged mirror. He had passed the test, with his insides only giving a _slight _guilty squirm.

Now, as Ron stood on the platform with his arm around Hermione, looking around at the family he had now, he decided if anyone had told him how his life was going to become, he would've never believed them, especially in the middle of the war. He would've never had thought, back in times when Voldemort was at large, that he would marry Hermione, raise two brilliantly talented children, and still be alive to talk about it.

Ron looked 'round, and left Hermione's side for just a moment to speak with Harry.

"So, mate," he said, cuffing his friend on the shoulder, "ever thought we would make it this far?"

"Never," Harry grinned. "D'you reckon they'll be as meddling as we were?"

Ron smirked. "Knowing Rose and Al - probably."

"- Especially since they're descendents of _you_ two."

Hermione had appeared at Harry's side, smirking in just the slightest way. Ron grinned at her and knew just what to say to get her back. "Oh, I'm sure – as I remember, I don't recall you exactly following all the rules. Wasn't it you who came up with the idea for a secret student society right under Umbridge's nose in our fifth year?"

Hermione only rolled her eyes and didn't answer. This made Ron and Harry laugh, and Harry slung an arm over each of them. They stood like that for a moment, watching their families with their arms around each other, until Hugo came up to Harry complaining that Lily had stolen his bag of Gobstones. Harry left, and Ron called after his son, "Hugo, don't be such a snitch!"

His arm found Hermione's shoulders again and he looked down at his wife who he loved so much. They had been through so much; much more than two people can say they've been through together after twenty-six years, or even fifty years. He gently kissed the top of her head, and he felt her arms wrapping around his waist, squeezing him against her own body. After nineteen years together, Ron still felt like they were both eighteen and in love; he certainly acted that way.

The train whistle blew. Ron released Hermione just as Rose came up to them. Ron knelt down so he was level with her and spoke so only she and Hermione heard.

"Rosie, you work hard this term and keep out of trouble for me, alright?" Rose laughed and said with heavy sarcasm, "Okay, Dad."

Ron grinned, she reminded him so much of Hermione when she laughed. "Well, I have to say it; your mother relies on me for the _important _talks." Behind him, Hermione gently slapped him across the head and Ron laughed. It wasn't true, of course; in fact, most of the time, it was Hermione who was telling Rose and Hugo to stay out of trouble and it was Ron who encouraged it.

Ron stood and Hermione bent to look her daughter in the eyes. "Just be good, please? Have a _normal _experience at Hogwarts, because I never had one, thanks to this idiot."

"Hey! I wasn't your only problem!" Ron protested.

"Alright, you and your idiot famous friend." She turned her attention back to Rose. "Just promise me you'll be careful and you won't get into too much trouble -"

"Okay, Mum," Rose smiled and hugged her mother, allowing Hermione to kiss her cheek, and turned to Ron.

"'Bye, Dad," she hugged him, and Ron held onto her, not wanting to let go. Finally, he was forced to when the whistle blew one last time. "'Bye Rosie, you set off a few Dungbombs in the entryway for me, that ought to brighten Filch's day!" This earned him another slap across the head from Hermione, and she said exasperatedly, "Why do I waste my time telling her to be good when you go and say things like that?"

Rose laughed at her parents, shot her mother a mischievious grin that could only mean anything, and ran fleetingly to the train, which had started to roll.

Rose poked her head out of one of the windows and started waving. Ron and Hermione waved back, Ron desperately wanting to jump on the train and accompany her to Hogwarts, but restraining himself.

As he watched the train wheel out of sight, he began to feel how lucky he was, just at this moment. He was sending Rose to Hogwarts, where it was safest, and while there were no wars to be heard of in the wizarding world; a much better deal than what he got when he was in school.

Just as the train disappeared from sight, Ron dropped the arm that had been waving, feeling that the arm was now useless. He felt Hermione's hand on his jaw, turning his face to look at hers. She dropped a gentle kiss on his lips, and squeezed his hand in hers.

"She's going to be back," she told him, "and she's going to be safe at Hogwarts."

Ron smiled at her, kissing her once more and keeping his face close to hers. "I know."

Feeling strangely complete for the first time in years, Ron and Hermione fetched Hugo, who was talking with Lily about Hogwarts, said their farewells to the Potters, and left the platform, through the gates into the Muggle world.


	63. Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

As I started this story over a year ago, it has been with me for a while now. I've learned more about Ron's and Hermione's characters, and how they will act in a certain situation. I've also created Rose's and Hugo's characters the way I imagined them: Rose, very clever like Hermione, but also very witty and mischievous like Ron. Hugo, a bit more mysterious, but I imagine he grew up to be a bit more quiet, quite unlike Ron or Hermione.

Of course, a story can't come together without some sort of ambition or inspiration. I would like to thank all the Potter fans who have reviewed, read, or simply read through the first chapter, decided they hadn't a liking for it, and moved on. It was all of you who kept me going, especially for those few months I didn't write.

Many of you would not know it, but the inspiration for the chapters of this story came from some unlikely sources. I wouldn't expect you to know that the chapter in which Ron and Hermione exchange letters while Ron is gone on his two-year Auror mission was completely inspired by Nicholas Spark's _Dear John_ (just what I saw from the trailer, mind you) or that the chapter in which Hermione has a stress breakdown (due to being overworked) was inspired by another fanfic. As writers living in the twenty-first century, we must receive inspiration from others to create something new out of it. Almost every idea, subject, and story that exists has been written about, and it is only when inspiration strikes, can we finally create a new, wholesome story.

The Golden Trio will always be with me (and hopefully with you), especially Ron and Hermione. I hope my stories have been enjoyable for you, and remember that the Harry Potter series lives on however you want it; you just have to write it that way.

Yours Sincerely,

Bailation


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